Loving Legends
by Sleepy Sheep Guardian
Summary: AU KaiRei. Doing what he does best, Kai's on a mission to find and capture a creature from the Umber Woods. However, when he locates the creature, he learns that he's more then a prize to be caught, and is reluctant to give him up. DISCONTINUED.
1. Prologue

SS-Hi hi minna-san! I felt like I had to get back into writing my stories so that I didn't get too school-centered. Everything in moderation. 

Tym-Some of your other stories *ahem* SSM *ahem* are non-moderation.

SS-I'm…taking my time with that one. Anyway, I'm just getting this idea out there to see how it goes. If people like it…I'll continue. If not…I promise I'll try harder with SSM. Now before everyone leaves, let's begin! 

~*~*~*~

Loving Legends

Prologue

DISCLAIMER: Do we own BeyBlade? …no. The characters? …no. The story? …no-oh wait…heh, that one's ok. 

~*~*~*~

He sprinted through the woods, ignoring the branches and bushes he met with along the way. He had finally caught a glimpse of the creature he had been searching for and he wasn't about to lose the trail. The boy had to admit, whatever this thing was; it sure was fast…and smart. Three times it had almost lost him, throwing the chaser off with false paths and turns. 

          Despite all this he kept going, sensing that he was catching up. He stopped suddenly in a small clearing, listening intently for the creature's next move. His wild sky blue bangs were waving gently in the wind, their unusual color contrasting his blood red eyes yet matching the azure markings on his face. He was wearing a black tank top and baggy navy blue pants. A white scarf was tied loosely around his neck and his ensemble was topped off with a long emerald cape, no doubt useful for camouflage. 

          His sensitive hearing caught a slight rustle in the bushes behind him, but he ignored it. He had been thrown off by that trick before, and so he waited for the real thing, knowing the creature was going to try and escape again. The boy pulled out a rope that hung by his belt and tied one end into a circle, getting ready to end the chase. Another breeze came and he cursed, it was harder to tell where the creature was moving now that all the shrubs were rustling. Thankfully a twig snapping caught his attention. The chaser turned to his right in time to see the figure jump from his hiding spot and dash towards the waterfall. 

          The boy had been in the Umber Woods many times before, always searching for something or another for one of his most wealthy clients. You could call him a bounty hunter, but he preferred "hired help", for its more positive connotation. And he was the best "hired help" available in the small town, able to find and retrieve just about anything in the Umber Woods…for the right price. You see, even though the town wasn't too big, it was very popular, mainly for the Umber Woods. Within the forests' dark depths lay many wondrous treasures ranging from useful herbal plants, to valuable minerals and jewels. However, what the boy was usually hired to find were the mysterious creatures that lurked the wooded area. 

          Unicorns, phoenixes, gryphons, fairies, once a dragon and even mermaids. All seemed to take refuge in the woods by Shimpi village, which was great for the hunter. People paid top dollar for any creature they could think of, and it was this boy's job to find them and bring them to the buyers. This job though, was taking much longer then he had thought. Just recently he had been asked to find two unique creatures that he had never heard of. The boy wouldn't have believed it unless the client hadn't shown him pictures of the two figures. Granted they were blurry and out of focus, but it was enough. Not to mention the reward was quite hefty. So that's why the boy was currently sprinting though the forest, he was so close to catching the creature…he could almost see the tail…caught a glimpse of the hair…he could even make out the shape…he looked human.

          'You're mine.' He thought as he jumped out of the clearing and threw the rope, it hovered above the target and descended as quickly as it was thrown, ringing the figure's tail. 

          "Ah…" It cried out as it stopped dead in its tracks. The boy kept a firm grip on the rope's end and started reeling in his catch. The figure was reluctant to go though and pulled against him with just as much force. It was a deadlock, and the boy couldn't even see the creature for it was on the other side of the thick brush.

          "It's…it's no use struggling…you're…mine." He pulled as hard as he could, determined to bring him in. Giving it one final jerk he flew backwards and landed on the lush earth. "What?!" Then he noticed that the other end of the line had been cut with something sharp. "Argh…" He got up and ran through the brush, only to find the waterfall and the mountain behind it. "Damn it." You had to go a long way before you reached the other side of the mountain, so he knew that the creature couldn't have gone far. He looked around, but there was no sign of it anywhere. "Next time you won't be so lucky…" He coiled up the rope and hung it on his belt again. 

          "Kai!" The bluenette didn't turn at the sound of his name, already knowing whom it was. In seconds another boy with blue hair came trampling out of the greenery, stopping in front of the hunter. "G-Guess it got away a-again huh?"

          "Obviously." Soon another boy, shorter than the first came out, clutching a laptop in his arms.

          "Did you see it?"

          "Hn."

          "Man…I never thought that catching an animal would be so hard!" The first boy collapsed onto the floor.

          "It's not an animal." Both starred at him.

          "What do you mean it's not an animal? What the hell have we been tracking for days then?" Kai still didn't turn, instead he whistled three times and held his arm out. In seconds a brilliant red bird came and landed itself on his gloved wrist, nuzzling her owner's neck affectionately.

          "It's not a real animal, but I guess it's not really human either." He replied, stroking the phoenix's silky feathers gently. The shorter boy called out.

          "I though you said you didn't see it."

          "I only caught a glimpse of it, but it was enough. It looked human." He began to walk back into the forest. "We're done for today, let's go."

          "Geez, why does he drag us all the way into the middle of the Umber Woods, run off, and then say to go back when we finally catch up with him?"

          "Well you're the one who wanted adventure Tyson." The boy helped him up.

          "I know that Kenny but I never thought it would be this hard…or this exhausting." With that the two jogged after Kai, not wanting to lose him again.

Meanwhile…

          After running for a few seconds, the creature had found his tree and climbed up it, settling on one of the higher branches. There he rubbed his tail, particularly the spot where Kai's rope had been. Good thing he was able to cut through it with his claws, otherwise he would have been a goner for sure. He had to be more careful, next time the boy would probably bring a stronger cord.

          He was a unique creature indeed, he looked human at first glance, but some of his dominating features said otherwise. Hidden beneath his messy jet-black hair lay a pair of feline ears, barely noticeable unless seen from above. He also had a pair of fangs that were visible when he grinned, and claws that he wasn't afraid to use. But probably the dead give-a-way would be his white tail, lined with dark green stripes. Aside from that he looked normal. He wore a clingy green t-shirt and slightly baggy brown pants. Though the boy did have striking golden eyes, it wasn't that people didn't have them…it was just that it was a one in a million kind of thing. 

"There you are Rei." The figure on the branch looked up and smiled as his friend landed next to him. "I've been looking all over for you…or rather…Robert has been looking for you." The boy was another unique creature, most likely the other one that Kai was sent to find. He too appeared normal, bushy blonde hair, sea-green eyes, a blue t-shirt over a long green one and auburn shorts. He was completely normal…except for the set of pure white wings protruding from his back. That and the purple marks under his eyes and the splotches on his arms and legs that resembled a turtle. That was the reason Rei sometimes playfully called him "turtle-dove". The blonde didn't mind though, on occasion he would call Rei "neko" for his feline features. It was all in good fun.

"You got to stop disappearing like that or he'll get suspicious," It was then that he noticed the red ring around the boy's normally white tail and put two and two together. "Don't tell me you went into town again."

          "No, I didn't. I was about to…but then that guy started chasing me again."

          "Looks like he actually caught you this time too. Are you ok?" The raven-haired boy rubbed his tail a little.

          "I'm fine Max…it stings a bit though."

          "Well, you better hide it from Robert, he'll kill you if he finds out that you went to town again."

          "I know…I know…" They were there in silence for a while, until a smile crept up on the blonde's face. 

          "So…we're still going tomorrow right?" Rei grinned and nodded.

          "Of course. How can we pass up a festival?" Max laughed and stretched out his wings, taking off with a few flaps while Rei skillfully jumped down the towering tree and sprinted off in the direction of his friend. If they intended on going to that fair, they had to prepare. After all, it was a big event, and what's a party without a costume?

~*~*~*~

SS-Tell me what you think! Continue? Trash? I'm all ears.

Tym-Can I voice my opinions?

SS-…um…*tosses him a cookie* 

Tym- ^___^ *runs off*

SS-That's my boy. Sweet Dweams minna-san. 


	2. The festival of Yuki

SS-Hi again. ^^;; Not too many reviews but hey…it's just starting. I don't mind.

Tym-You minded for SSM…

SS-*ahem* Let's not go there ok?

Tym-Fine.

SS-Now that the prologue's over (OMG, I didn't combine the prologue with the first chapter like I usually do! -_-# Oh well), we can get into the characters a bit more and introduce s'more stuff. After all, there's a festival! That's got to bring in some interesting things.

Tym-We'll see…let's begin already. 

SS-Nu-uh…I want to thank those who took the time to review ^^ love you people!

~

Nekowingzero-Thanks for the support! I'll continue on with my imagination.

B-Such an easy name to remember. Glad you like it so far.

Anime girl8-It's a festival anything's possible, or you can just read and find out.

Platinum Rei-It's going to be a very interesting road ^_~ Hope you like this chapter.

maedhros-What color is Rei's ear? Hm…didn't think anyone would ask me that…but it's white with green stipes. 

Porticulis-Hey, good to see a familiar face…or penname anyway. You like? =) Cool, I'll do my best with it. And what do you mean…not…yet? *gets suspicious*

~*~*~*~

Loving Legends

Chapter 1 – The festival of Yuki

DISCLAIMER: … see prologue ^^

~*~*~*~

It was pretty late when Kai and his roommate returned home. With all the money he earned from being  "hired help", he was able to afford a fairly large house overlooking the forest and the mountains. Mainly he wanted it because of the balcony; the fact that it was attached to the mini-mansion was luck. 

          "Are we going back out there tomorrow?" Kai turned to Tyson, who had slumped into the couch. He answered in an impassive tone. 

          "Yes." The younger groaned. 

          "Aw…but the festival is tomorrow! Remember? The festival of Yuki…it only comes once a year Kai!" He was actually right for a change. Tomorrow was the day all the people of Shimpi gathered to celebrate the memory of Yuki, the name of the girl and the name of the first unicorn ever discovered in the Umber Woods. Of course it was just a legend, but so were the animals that roamed in the forest. 

According to the tale, a man by the name of Zishi spotted a unicorn three years ago on that very day and managed to capture and bring it to Kuna circle (The center of Shimpi village). Everyone was amazed by the unicorn, they wouldn't have believed it if it wasn't standing in front of them. 

          Zishi was planning on freeing it that night, but the others wanted to keep it. A fight broke out right there and lasted for quite a while until the unicorn managed to bite off the ropes tying it to the pole. Using its mighty wings, it took flight and returned to Umber Woods. It wasn't until it was already in the air that Zishi spotted his daughter, Yuki, on the unicorn's back. Everyone tried to stop it but it was too late. The creature and the girl were gone. 

          A few days later the people in the village had a memorial service for Yuki and from then on had a festival in her honor on that very day every year. It reminds everyone that the creatures in the forest are a blessing and we shouldn't take them for granted. Somehow though, there was never a law made that forbade people from capturing these animals. It was frowned upon, but no one really did anything about it since mostly everyone wanted one. 

Kai never went to the festival; he thought it was a waste of time. But that didn't keep his long-time (and in his opinion, annoying) friend Tyson and his buddy Kenny from going. Every year they would try to get Kai to go with them, and every year he found a way to get out of it. Why did the bluenette put up with him? Well, besides knowing the boy since childhood, it was Tyson who gave him the idea of becoming "hired help". He noticed how Kai had a knack for finding and capturing his pet dog every time it ran to the woods so he suggested it to him. That's really the only reason why he was now his roommate. Kai felt that he owed him for all that he had, so even though he didn't always like it, he invited the boy to live with him.

"Fine, you can go tomorrow."

"Oh yea!" He cheered as he jumped around the room. They had been tracking the creature in the woods for four days straight, and it was finally getting to him. He normally didn't follow Kai on his missions, but he wanted some adventure and a little break from the ordinary so he convinced Kai to bring him and his friend Kenny along. "Hey…why don't you co-"

"No."

"Aw come on Kai, you need to relax more and enjoy yourself! That's what the festival's for! Hardly anyone works on that day…you shouldn't have to either." The bluenette shrugged and walked up the stairs. 

"In case you've forgotten Tyson, I have a job to do."

"Oh those guys won't mind if you take one day off. Besides, you know that you can catch this thing the day after if you set your mind to it." Kai shook his head.

"Tala and Bryan are paying us top dollar for those two creatures and I'm not about to give up a day of tracking just to celebrate some girl."

"Well if it wasn't for that girl and that unicorn you might not even be where you are right now! Geez…you're such a wet blanket sometimes Kai." He heard a 'hn' and then a door shut, signaling that the conversation was over. "Humph…sourpuss. Oh well, his loss." He proceeded to his own room across the hall, wanting to go to sleep early so that he could wake up early and go to the festival.

~*~

          "Where were you today Rei?" The boy glanced at the ground while the questioner tapped his foot. 

          "…Out…"

          "Out where?"

          "Uh…out with…Driger. Yea! I took him to the summit again." Robert starred at him intently.

          "Hm…" Rei snapped his head up and grinned. 

          "Really! I just lost track of time. I'm sorry." Something told the older boy that he was lying, but it seemed like no harm was done so he let it go.

          "Just try and remember to keep track of time next time." With that he flew off. Yes, he was like them too. A unique creature with dark purple hair and matching lavender wings. He had claws (Not as prominent as Rei's) and a tail too, though his was skinny with a tuft of hair at the end. He wore a plain white shirt and black pants, not much of a fashion statement, but it was all for the better. For all the times he told Rei and Max not to go into town, he actually spent most of his time there. He helped out at a university and so far no one suspected him of being anything but a member of the staff. 

          It was no use arguing with him though, Robert always had good reasons why he could go to town and they couldn't. For one, his special features weren't as noticeable as theirs, it was easier for him to blend in since his wings and tail could be concealed with a coat unlike Rei and he had no markings on his face like Max. He also knew how to act in public, it wasn't that Rei and Max were wild; it was just that they could quite easily get in over their heads and forget that if they were discovered they'd be captured and auctioned off to the highest bidder. 

          Even though there were plenty of other mythical animals residing in Umber Woods, not many were part human and part animal. In fact, Robert told them that they were the only ones. That plus a whole bunch of other reasons added to one thing…the duo weren't allowed to go into town or even go close to it. Ever since he found them eight or nine years ago, Robert made it his responsibility to look after them. He was only two or three years older then they were (1), but it was as if he were their father. Rei and Max appreciated it; they just wished he wouldn't be so protective. After all, should the need arise, like today, they could take care of themselves. Too bad he didn't think so.

          Hearing that the conversation was over, Max flew in and landed next to Rei. "Are you sure it's safe to go into town tomorrow?"

          "Of course. I mean…it's a festival celebrating Yuki. It's almost like they're celebrating us! And besides, we were never caught the other times." The blonde smiled.

          "Nope! No one can catch us!" 

          "Though there was that time we ran too fast and our coats accidentally got caught on that low branch." The blonde nodded enthusiastically.

          "Oh and the time when that girl let go of her balloon and I flew up and got it for her."

          "What about when someone stepped on my tail and I nearly scratched his eyes out?"

          "That was a good one." Like most kids, Rei and Max laughed about their mistakes and kept bringing up more. There wasn't a year that the two had not almost been caught at the festival of Yuki, yet they continued to go each year. They wore a different disguise every time, hoping to go unnoticed long enough to enjoy the festivities. Then they would run back to the safety of their mountainside and laugh about it some more. 

          As they prepared to go to sleep they talked about the plan for tomorrow, unaware of the surprises waiting for them. 

~*~

          As the sunlight filtered into the room, the occupant of the bed turned to the other side, refusing to get up. The bluenette grabbed another pillow and placed it over his head in attempts to block out the bright rays. While he succeeded in that, he couldn't block out the next thing…a loud snoring sound coming from his roommate.

          "Argh…Tyson…" Kai gave up and reluctantly got out from under the warm covers. He snatched a pillow on his way out and headed for the bathroom at the end of the hall. Before he entered, he opened the door to the other boy's room and launched it at his face. He then closed the door, knowing that he had hit the target.

          "Hey! Oww…what was that for?!"

          "For being you." 

(About half and hour later)

          The two had managed to survive another morning together and were now walking to Kenny's house. It was just down the block, right next to the local bakery. He shared the small house with a girl named Emily, and though they claimed to just be friends, Tyson and Kai knew better. He knocked rather loudly on the door and smiled when his friend greeted him. 

          "Morning Chief! Ready to go?" The brunette nodded and ran to the closet.

          "Sure. Just let me get my jacket." 

          "No problem. Oh, hi Emily. You want to come with us?" The orange-haired girl that had emerged from the living room shook her head.

          "No thanks Tyson. I'm going out with Mariah, but we're going to the festival a little later, so maybe I'll see you there."

          "Oh, all right. Tell her I said hi."

          "Of course." Mariah was a pink-haired girl that knew Emily since they were little. She lived a little farther away with Lee, Kevin, and Gary, the boys she considered her family. 

          "Ok guys I'm ready." Kenny came running with Dizzi (His computerized friend in his laptop) in hand. "Bye Emily."

          "See you later Kenny. And are you actually going to the festival this year, Kai?"

          "No. I'm just going for a bit to meet someone, then I'm going to continue searching."

          "Still haven't found the creature yet?"

          "Obviously not."

          "I told you it was harder then it seems. Oh well, good luck with it."

          "Hn." She closed the door and they left. That's when Tyson spoke up.

          "You're meeting someone at the festival Kai? Who?" He crossed his arms.

          "Tala. He wants to know how the search is going."

          "Well you can tell him no dice." He didn't respond to that, in fact, he remained silent even as they entered the festival.

~*~ 

"Hurry up Rei! Robert just left and I don't want to miss a minute of the festival!"

          "I know I know! Hold on!" Rei grabbed the finishing touch on to his ensemble, a dark ribbon, and tied it around his waist. Making sure it was secure; they made their way to the side of the forest, smiling when they saw all the balloons and streamers.

          "Ready?"

          "You bet. Let's go." They both stepped out and walked calmly into the crowd, hoping to blend in. Both were wearing their normal clothes, and had a tan coat and hood on, it was long enough to cover Rei's tail and big enough to hide Max's wings. They were set, and were ready to enjoy another Yiku fair.

          Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, eating the delicious food and playing entertaining games, all interrelated to Yiku and the unicorn. Tyson and Kenny were jumping all over the place, looking at one thing and then another every minute. Kai stood at a respectable distance, not really wanting people to know that he knew the two. Then a flash of red caught his eyes; he turned to see the source. It was what he expected, one of his acquaintances and present client, Tala.

          "Good to see you Kai. I trust the mission's going smoothly?"

          "It's coming along."

          "Yes, well, do you think you could make it come along a little faster?" Kai smirked.

          "So impatient. Don't worry, you'll get them, have I ever broken a promise? Or a deal?" Tala matched his grin.

          "No, not yet. And I hope this won't be the first."

          "It won't. You can expect the creatures within one or two weeks."

          "One or two weeks? You're losing your touch."

          "They're more elusive then the others. Even with Dranzer it's been a rocky path so to speak." He pulled out the rope he had used to catch the creature's tail the other day and showed it to him. "This one's smarter then the rest. It's definitely special."

          "Hm, that's why I want it, and the other as well." He turned to leave. "Call me when you have them and we can talk about payment." With that he left, disappearing into the crowd of people. Kai stuffed the rope back into his cloak and decided that this was the best time to start on his search again. And then he remembered that he had given Tyson the reinforced net yesterday and he had yet to return it to him. 

'Oh damn…where did they go?' He proceeded to find them, heading back into the throng of people. 

Meanwhile, Max and Rei were observing the stands, trying to decide which of the delicious treats they should eat first. "Wow, they really went all out this year didn't they?" Max said, as he gazed at all the decorations and banners.

          "Definitely, I'm glad we got here early-hey look!" Rei pointed to the stage a few yards away from them. It had pictures of unicorns and little girls around it, and a big red banner on top.

          "It's the play! Come on, let's see it!" The blonde grabbed Rei's hand and pulled him over, not wanting to miss the reenactment of Yuki and her meeting with the unicorn. They saw it every year, loving the childish touches added in by the students of the Shimpi elementary school. When the two got closer Max pouted. "Oh man…" Turns out they were still setting everything up, and it wasn't going to be ready for another hour or so. 

          "Guess we'll just have to wait." He tugged at his cloak. "Let's go back to the stands, we can get something to eat, walk around some more, and then come back to see it, ok?" The blonde nodded and followed him.

~*~

In the meantime, Kai had found Tyson and Kenny sitting on a bench near the stage, eating the goodies they had bought. "Why am I not surprised that you're already eating?" He asked as he took the net from the boy's backpack.

          "Give us a break Kai, we didn't eat that much breakfast since _someone_ rushed us out." The bluenette just turned away.

          "Considering how long it takes you to pick out what you want to eat, we would have been there for hours before you were done." Then he left, heading for the forest to continue his tracking.

          "Looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning."

          "Nah, no matter what side of the bed he wakes up on he'll be like that." He picked up another muffin. "I don't think he'll change unless someone else is there to wake up with him, and we know that won't happen anytime soon." Kenny tilted his head slightly, and then checked his watch. 

          "Speaking of time, you better hurry. Emily said that she and Mariah would be arriving in a couple minutes." He packed up his stuff while Tyson groaned.

          "Honestly Kenny if you want to be with Emily so badly you should have gone with her earlier." He stuffed the last bit of muffin in his mouth before gathering his stuff and following the shorter boy.

~*~

Max was still hesitant about straying from the stage sight. "What if we miss it?" Rei glanced back.      

          "I don't think we will. They always play the music before it starts remember? And you _know_ that I can get us there pretty quick, so there's no need to wor-ow!" Since he wasn't looking where he was going he accidentally bumped into someone, causing him to fall onto the ground.

          "You ok Rei?" The raven-haired youth nodded and turned towards the person he had connected with. 

          "I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going." He grinned, stood up and dusted himself off while the other merely shrugged it off.

          "It's…" That's when the guy got a good look at who had run into him. "…ok." He had eyes of the purest golden color, brighter than amber, and a bright smile on his face. Kai would have continued to stare into his eyes until he realized that he had things to do. "Forget it." With that he walked past them and back into the crowd. Rei's gaze followed the boy as he left, curious as to why he had been distant at first.

          "Hm…" Max poked his arm. "What?" He handed him the net that he had found on the ground.

          "Look what I found. I think that guy dropped it when you crashed into him." Rei took it and examined it for a minute before pocketing it.

          "He's gone now, but I'm sure we'll run into him again if we keep walking around." 

          "Well I don't know about me but I'm sure _you_ will run into him." He said as he snickered. Rei glared at him before shaking his head and resuming his walk.

          As Kai neared the entrance to the Umber Woods, he reached for his net only to find that it was gone. "What?" Checking his other pockets he cursed. "What happened to it-oh no…" It suddenly dawned on him that he had probably dropped it when he ran into that boy with the warm, golden eyes and the bright smile and the soft dark hair – he had to find him. Turning on his heel he jogged back to the festival, determined to find the boy. 

          The idea was easier said than done, it seemed like more people had arrived now and his chances of finding that boy were diminishing. 'Damn it.' So he started his search on a rather dreadful note, hoping that luck was on his side.   

(About an hour later)

          Rei and Max had forgotten about finding the boy they had run into earlier and were now enjoying the festival. The two had walked around the entire area twice, admiring the decorations and watching the little skits spread throughout the fair. Now they were resting on a bench by the smaller stage on the opposite side of the bigger one, snacking on caramel apples and listening to the music being performed by a local band on the adjacent platform.

          "Um…we should have gotten these before." Max stated as he took another bite from his. Rei wiped his mouth with a napkin and questioned him.

          "Why?"

          "Because then we could have gotten another one by now." The older boy had to smile, he was really glad that the blonde was having fun. Besides exploring, there really wasn't much to do on their side of the mountain. And since Robert had forbidden them from coming to town they were often bored. Rei knew how to keep himself occupied, but Max, being younger, could quite easily lose interest in trivial tasks and retreat to their tree.

          The raven-haired boy didn't like seeing his friend depressed like that, it wasn't who he was. Max was a cheerful, energetic youth who shouldn't have to be confined to the forest. That's why Rei went out of his way trying to find new ways of getting into town everyday. Even though Robert made it his responsibility to look after both of them, Rei took it upon himself to watch after Max and his well-being. 

Before Robert took them in it was just the two boys fending for themselves. And since Rei was older by a few months he had to keep an eye on Max. They've been together for as long as either of them could remember, that's why they try not to part from each other if it was possible. 

 "Well, later we can get another one." The blonde nodded and licked the sticky substance from his lips. Rei laughed, he had missed a big spot by his cheek. "You missed a spot." He poked the boy's cheek, telling him where it was.

"Huh?" He wiped it with a tissue. "Better?" Rei sighed, picked up the napkin and cleaned up the spot for him. "Thank you." The older boy just smiled and took another bite of his apple, most of the caramel already gone.

"What do you want to do after we finish these?" The neko-jin shrugged.

"I don't know. They play should be starting soon, maybe we can wait by the stage." His friend nodded and got up.

"Let's go now so that by the time we get there, we'll be done."

"Ok." Rei got up and went with him, not noticing the blur of blue behind him.

Kai had just passed them by, so absorbed with finding them that he didn't catch the boy as he walked away. 'This is getting ridiculous, I'm wasting too much time.' A sudden silence followed by a surge of music broke Kai's train of thought. 'Now what?'

~*~

"Come on Rei hurry! The play's about to start!" Max grabbed the older boy by the wrist as they dashed across the fair grounds, making their way to the stage.

"Don't worry Max, we'll get there!" The two weaved between the crowds, trying not to run into anyone. "You can let go of my hand, I can run on my own you know!" The blonde wasn't really listening, in fact, he was laughing, running this fast was just like flying, which he loved. The part about dodging the people was icing on the cake. 

Rei had miraculously made it to the theatre in one piece, though his wrist was a little red. He didn't bother to mention it to Max; the blonde was enjoying himself too much. Besides that, he was still hyper from the caramel apple, so his complaint wouldn't even faze him. The music continued for a few more minutes and then it softened. Lights went on, people started clapping, and the curtain pulled back…the show was finally starting.

~*~

As the majority of the crowd had disappeared to see the play, Kai thought that it might not be a bad idea. 'Maybe I'll find him there, and if I don't, I know I'll find Tyson and Kenny. They can help me find the boy.' Making up his mind he to leisurely walked towards the stage.

          By the time Kai made it, they were at the part where the fight was going on and the unicorn was starting to break free of its bonds. Scanning the crowd, he couldn't see Tyson or Kenny anywhere. 'They're probably in front with the rest of the children.' He was about to walk closer until a bit of black caught his eye. He turned just in time to see two boys come to a stop a few feet away from him, one blonde, the other, the raven-haired boy he had been searching for. 'There he is!'

          Kai walked over to him and was about to say something until something unexpected happened. It was a new special effect, the horse on stage disappeared and a fake one was up in the air, flying around the audience. Everyone gasped and clapped in amazement as it circled the stage and went out to the people again. A gust of wind followed as the horse returned to the stage and that's when it happened. Kai looked up and his eyes widened. Hidden in the mess of raven hair was a pair of feline ears. At first he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him, but now he was curious. So as the play continued, he took out his pocketknife and cut the sash holding Rei's coat together. As if fell to the ground, the bluenette was shocked to see a green striped tail trailing down the boy's legs.

          'No way!' Feeling that something was wrong Rei noticed that his ribbon had fell and people could see his tail. He gasped, especially when Kai grabbed his wrist. He turned his head to meet Kai's ruby eyes. "I found you." Rei tensed and tried to get away.

          "Let go of me!" Only Max saw what was going on, as everyone else was caught up in the play. He tried to get Kai off. 

          "Hey let go of him!" Kai anticipated this and pulled Rei away, getting away from the crowd. "Stop!" The blonde went after him, his own sash coming undone. When they were near the entrance to the forest Kai tried to bind the boy.

          "Stop struggling, you're only making things harder!" Of course he didn't stop he only fought harder.

          "No way! And get taken somewhere with a jerk like you?! I'd rather skin myself!" He tried to hit him with his tail, but it didn't work. It was like the to hadn't met earlier, the previous emotions forgotten.

          "I'm not going to hurt you! Just stop fighting me!"

          "Like hell I will!" Then he had an idea. Using his tail as a distraction, Rei then bared his claws and attacked Kai's wrist. 

          "Ah! Shit!" He let go instantly and grabbed his injured hand; drops of blood falling from the three slash marks. "What the hell did you do that for?!"

          "Oh I'm sorry, it's just that I was raised to defend myself when strangers try and drag me somewhere, forgive me for my stupidity!" He yelled sarcastically.

          "I told you I wasn't going to hurt you, I only wanted to get to know you. It's not everyday you see someone who's half human half animal." Rei rubbed his wrist.

          "Excuse you I'm half human half tiger, got it?!" 

          "Sorry if I'm not critical to detail right now I'm kind of concentrating on my bloody hand! Which you contributed to by the way!"

          "If you hadn't grabbed me earlier it never would have happened! If you wanted to get to know me you should have kindly asked me aside like _normal_ people do!" They glared at each other, ruby clashing with gold, both battling for dominance. Then they broke the contest when a voice called out. 

          "Rei!" The neko-jin turned away to see his friend running towards him. "Rei, why are you just standing there like a statue?! Get away from him!" Realization hit him and he took his friend's advice. He sprinted off into the forest, with Kai close behind. "Hurry Rei he's right behind-ow!" Before he could finish his warning someone bumped into him.

          "Ow….that smarts…" 

"Tyson are you ok? What did you run into?" Emily chimed in.

"Yea, you should really watch where you're going." The guys plue Emily and Mariah, who had met up with them a little earlier looked over to see a blonde boy sitting up, rubbing his head.

          "Someone get the license of that truck…"

          "Wow! Chief do you see what I see?!" That got Max's attention, he saw the two boys starring at him and then he knew why. When he fell, his cloak went with it, revealing his set of wings. Kenny adjusted him glasses and gasped.

          "If you see what I see then oh my god…" Mariah gasped.

          "Is…is that really real?!"

"Kai will never believe this." Max glared at them and stood up.

          "Yea? Well you can't believe what you can't see." He ran off, taking flight in a matter of seconds. 

          "Ah…come on Kenny, we gotta follow him!" They too ran into the forest, intent on catching up with the boy, unintentionally leaving the girls behind.

          "Wait for us you guys!" They tailed them, not wanting to lose them.

'Oh man oh man we really messed up this time. I just hope Robert isn't back yet. Otherwise he'll be the only human/creature left. Oh, Rei!' Max descended, spotting his friend amongst the trees. "Rei!" The raven-haired boy looked up.

          "Max!" He reached out with his hand.

          "Grab a hold! I'll fly you there!"

          "No, I'll slow you down. Go on! I'll meet you there." 

          "You sure? He's right behind you."

          "Don't worry about me, just get ready." He nodded and flew onward towards their mountain.

          'Man, that guy won't give up. Well he'll find out that there's more to me then meets the eye.' Soon they reached the clearing, where the waterfall was. 'Try and catch me now.' When he got within five feet of the lake he dove in, swimming down under the cascade. 

          'Where's he going?' Kai thought as he saw the boy disappear beneath the watery depths. 'Well you can't lose me that easily.' Forgetting about his injured hand, Kai dove in after him, feeling a stinging sensation. That didn't stop him though. He could make out the boy swimming through a hole under the falls so he followed. 

          When Rei was on the other side, he spotted Max's friend, Draciel, swimming gracefully, more gracefully then Rei, through the crystal water. He surfaced with a gasp and quickly got out. He called out to the giant turtle. "Draciel! There's an intruder coming!" The great beast poked its head out and nodded, then proceeded to block the entrance. 

          Seeing the hole disappearing Kai picked up his speed, kicking through before the turtle could close it off. "Just great…Draciel defensive maneuvers!" The shell-covered animal surfaced and brought its mighty body down upon the water, creating a massive tidal wave to charge at Kai. 

          'Damn.' He thought, he knew he couldn't swim away from it, so he took a deep breath and dove underneath, escaping the attack.

          "Draciel, don't let him get away!" The turtle went under too and prepared to come in for a close range strike. Thinking quickly Kai dug through his pockets and pulled out a small black ball. He threw it at the beast, and when it hit a wave of smoke appeared, stopping him in his tracks. "Oh no! Draciel! Are you ok?!" The turtle surfaced a few seconds later, swimming to the boy. He kneeled down and patted his head. "You did great, I'm sorry you had to take that smoke though." It made a low rumbling sound, but Rei understood. He said something along the lines of, "It's ok Rei I'm fine." Kai surfaced too, and climbed out, coughing a bit.

          "Some defense." Rei stood up and growled at him.

          "What do you think you were doing throwing a smoke bomb in the clear waters of our lake?!"

          "Well with that behemoth coming towards me what else was I supposed to do?" They were interrupted when Max came flying down, carrying the two other boys with him.

          "Look what I found." He dropped them by Kai and then landed next to Rei. 

          "Why did you bring them in?!"

          "They were trying to blow the mountainside to get in. I rather have them in here then have a hole in our mountain. There were two girls too, but they were far behind, I don't think they'll be a problem." As Rei nodded Max noticed Draciel in the murky water. "Huh? Draciel!" He ran to his friend and hugged him as best he could. "Are you ok? What happened to you? And what happened to our lake?!"

          "It was him." Rei pointed to the bluenette across from him. "This whole thing is his fault." 

~*~*~*~

(1) Robert is 17, which makes Rei 15 and Max is about to turn 15 in a week or so. That'll be mentioned later. ^^ Kai, Tyson and most of the other characters (Unless specified) are also 15. 

SS-Weird place to end, but I have to…it's late and I'm tired.

Tym-The chapter's too long…too much to read. @.@

SS-That's your opinion, and I was planning on cutting it off when Rei ran into the forest…but everything was too tightly tied together. 

Tym-You and your excuses. Oh well, maybe readers will be more interested if you put more into your chapter anyway.

SS-Exactly! But…I don't know. We'll see where things go. Please review! Tell me what you think! 


	3. The charm of mythical creatures

SS-Looks like this idea is off the ground.

Tym-Does that mean SSM will be put off again?

SS-No, I'm working on it. I want to get it out in the beginning of November.

Tym-Why?

SS-You'll see. Oh, and I think I know on FF.net the prologue counts as the first chapter, but I don't really want to acknowledge that so this is chapter two even if the site will say it's number three. Anyway, thanks everyone who reviewed! And thanks to the people who read it but didn't review (I do that sometimes ^^;;), maybe you can this time.

Thanks Miki sparrow, cat, I luv kai, and devilburns! 

*Keisan: Yea I like Rei/Kai (obviously), glad you like it so far. I racked my brains for something a little original. I know there are some stories like this, hopefully not in the BeyBlade section though. 

*Porticulis: I'm working on my writing, hopefully this chapter's structured better and spread out a little more. Enjoy!

~notes~

[stuffy] – Rei talking to animals (Yea, it's one of his gifts)

{more stuffy} – Animals talking back 

~*~*~*~

Loving Legends

Chapter 2 – The charm of mythical creatures

Disclaimer: We don't own BB or it's characters, we're just borrowing them for our ficcy.

~*~*~*~

"It was him." Rei pointed to the bluenette across from him. "This whole thing is his fault." Kai stepped forward.

          "You can't blame it all on me! If you hadn't scratched me and run away I wouldn't have chased you and therefore, wouldn't have smoked the lake!"

          "Oh come on! If you never pulled me aside and tried to take me away none of this would have happened!"

          "Yea?!"

          "YEA!" Before the two could reach each other, Kenny stood between them and spoke up.

          "Um guys…I don't think we need to fight…"

          "Yea. We didn't mean to intrude. We just wanted to get to know you guys better. I mean you are pretty amazing." Max looked at both of them and smiled.

          "Thanks. I agree we don't need to fight each other. Let's…just talk this out. What do you say Rei?" The raven-haired boy was silent, his eyes narrowing. "Fighting him won't solve anything you know." The raven-haired boy's gaze never left Kai's. 

          "But maybe if I tear him up enough he won't remember us." Kai scoffed at the remark.

          "It'll take more than a few scratches to make me forget this, not like you could ever lay a finger on me." Rei lunged at him, only to be stopped by Max.

          "Rei stop!"

          "I'm just calling his bluff!" Beating his wings, the blond took him up into the sky, hoping to calm him down. 

          "I think you're really starting to act like Robert."

          "What?"

          "You're being a hypocrite."

          "How?"

          "You always told me not to fight, and that there's another answer. Remember that?" Rei ceased his struggling and sighed knowing that if he tried to argue that he wouldn't win. 

          "Never thought that a cliché would come back to bite me in the butt…" The blonde smiled. 

          "So are you going to try talking now?" Rei crossed his arms.

          "I'm not promising anything." Against his better judgment the angel Rei go, the neko-jin landing gracefully on the ground. 

          "Now…can we try this again?" Tyson let go of Kai's arm and nodded. Apparently he had been holding him to prevent the bluenette from taking off, a frequent habit of his.

          "I think so. But it doesn't look like these two are going to come shake and make up anytime soon." Tyson's eyes darted from his roommate to the annoyed tiger. 

          "If we start, then they might." Max walked up to the boy, but Rei grabbed his shoulder.

          "Don't Max."

          "Come on Rei, we said we'd talk this one out. Besides, it doesn't look like they're going to leave without knowing something about us."

          "No they don't, but we can force them to with Grypholyi-"

          "And risk him telling Robert? No way." Ignoring Rei's warnings, the blonde made his way to Tyson and held out his hand. "I'm Max, and that's Rei." He grinned and shook his hand.

          "My name's Tyson. That's Kenny," He motioned to the shorter boy behind him. "and that's Kai." He nudged the older boy's elbow. 

          "Nice to meet you guys. And um…sorry about carrying you over the mountain, but I couldn't have you blow it up." Tyson quickly tucked the stick of dynamite poking out of his pocket away, laughing nervously. (1)

          "Uh yea…sorry about that too."

          "It's ok, just keep that stuff away from our home. We may have grown up here but that doesn't mean we don't know what explosives like that can do."

          "Uh huh." Kenny took the opportunity to ask something that had been on his mind.

          "So Max, you've always lived here right?" Max turned towards him and nodded.

          "Yup."

          "Are there others like you here too?" He shook his head.

          "Unfortunately, no. Robert, Rei and I are the only ones of our kind to live on this side of the Umber Woods, at least…that's what Robert told us."

          "Fascinating-wait a minute. Are you referring to the same Robert that works in the University?" Max brought a hand up to his mouth.

          "Oh man…you can't let him know about this! He'll kill us if he knew we let people in here." Tyson eased his fears.

          "Don't worry, we won't tell him. Kenny and I never talk to him anyway." Max let out his breath.

          "Good. Oh, and you can't tell anyone about-" Again, the bluenette waved away his suspicions.

          "It's ok Maxie. We won't tell anyone, and we're not stupid enough to let it slip."

          "Most of us aren't anyway…" Tyson turned to Kai and glared at him.

          "Hey!" Before another argument broke out, the blonde intervened.

          "Thanks Tyson, that means a lot. It's good to know that there are still a few people out there that we can trust." His anger disappearing, the bluenette faced him again and smiled. 

          "Yea well, that's the kind of understanding guy I am." In a quiet tone Kai retaliated.

          "Sure you are…" Though it was barely above a whisper, Tyson heard it.

          "All right Kai that's it!" Grabbing the boy's hand he dragged him over to Rei.

          "Tyson what do you think you're doing?!" He let go of his wrist and stood next to him.

          "You two are going to make up right now." Rei looked at him quizzically.

          "Why?" Max walked up to his best friend.

          "Because, it'll make things a lot easier if you two got along. Or could at least stand each other's presence." He tiptoed up to his ear and whispered, "Not to mention if we don't get their minds off squabbling, they'll tear this place apart." Rei shook his head and turned away.

          "What makes you think we won't fight? And I am still here aren't I?"

          "Yea but it's obvious you want nothing to do with Kai."

          "That's fine, I don't want anything to do with him." Kai responded. 'The only thing I want is to get those two to Tala.'

          "Come on Kai, we're not going until you two make nice." Max elbowed him lightly. 

          "You heard Tyson, if you want them to leave, you'll have to stop ignoring them." The raven-haired boy glanced at him.

          "I don't have a problem with Tyson or Kenny." His gaze moved to the bluenette. "It's Mr. Sunshine over there that I have a problem with." Red met gold again.

          "I couldn't have said it better myself Catwoman." Rei hissed at him.

          "Watch it Sharky." Catching the reference to the blue markings on his cheeks Kai glared at him.

          "Don't push me kitty cat."

          "If I push hard enough will you fall off a cliff, Ice boy?" This time Kai advanced on him.

          "Kai don't!" Rei only smirked, crossed his arms and whistled three times. Before the bluenette could reach him a large white tiger blocked his path, growling and pawing the ground beneath him. He backed up.

          "I hope you don't think I'm scarred of that pussy cat." Rei didn't answer. "Two can play this game." He whistled too, calling on his faithful phoenix. Sure enough, despite the distance, the magnificent bird came to her master, hovering in front of the tiger.

          "A phoenix. Please, do you honestly think that little canary can stand up to Driger?"

          "I'll be surprised if that over grown runt can scratch Dranzer."

          "Then why don't you put your money where your mouth is, big shot?"

          "I'm afraid that my Dranzer killing your little pet may cause your morale to suffer." Rei's golden eyes slitted.

          "You'll be lucky if Driger doesn't stuff that turkey." Kai stepped forward.

          "What did you say?!"

          "You heard me Mr. Congeniality!" 

          "That's it! Dranzer attack that mangy cat with your Flame Saber!" (2)

          "Go Driger! Slash that pigeon to pieces!" As both creatures made a beeline for each other Max shouted to Draciel.

          "Draciel! Stop them!" The giant turtle rose from the water and brought its body down upon it, creating another gigantic tidal wave. It swallowed the tiger and the phoenix, and stopped their attacks. 

          "Driger!"

          "Dranzer!" The wave soon disappeared, revealing both animals. The tiger was all right, having endured many of the turtle's assaults before; however, being of the fire element, the bluenette's phoenix wasn't fairing as well. Kai's eyes widened as his loyal companion struggled to stand, it's plumage soaked from head to toe. He quickly ran over to her and kneeled beside the bird. "…Dranzer." Not wanting to worry her master, she screeched an ok, obviously not convincing him. "I should have seen that coming." He brushed her feathers, cringing when he felt the mighty bird lean against him.

          Rei was a little shocked; he didn't think Kai was capable of showing any emotion besides anger. Feeling Driger nudge him he looked into his eyes, seeing the bit of worry he sighed and spoke to him in a low growl.

[You don't want me to do what I think you want me to do, do you?]

{Why not? It's the right thing to do. After all, Draciel was the one that attacked her.}

[I didn't order him to unleash that tidal wave.]         

{Please Rei she's of the Umber Woods. If not for that blue haired boy, then for the phoenix, it wasn't her fault.} Rei shook his head and mentally kicked himself for being soft. 

"Ok. Go get me some of those red berries by Trygle's nest." Driger nodded enthusiastically and took off while Rei stood up and walked over to Dranzer. Sensing the boy approaching, Kai let go of his friend and put himself in front of her.

          "It was a cheap shot calling for help and using a tidal wave against Dranzer." Rei crossed his arms. 

          "First of all, I didn't ask for help. I didn't need Draciel's help to beat her. Second of all, I didn't mean for that to happen." He tried to get closer to the bird but was stopped by Kai's grip. 

          "You must be crazy if you think I'm going to let you get near her."      

          "And you must be crazy if you think I'm going to hurt her." Kai stared into his eyes. "I live among phoenixes, do you really think that just because this one has a master that I'm going to harm it?" He didn't trust him, but seeing as Dranzer was in pain he let go of his arm. Rei walk over to her, she was barely standing, and completely defenseless in this state. As he reached to check her pulse she screeched and started beating her wings, effectively knocking him to the ground. Tyson volunteered advice as Kai snickered.

          "Rei I don't think you should do that. I mean, I've known Dranzer for a few years and she still doesn't pass up the chance to bite my hand off." Max held up his hand.

          "Don't worry Tyson, Rei…has a way with animals from the Umber Woods."

          "Huh?" He turned to watch what the neko-jin was going to do. It was clear that Kai wasn't going to do anything, so how was Rei supposed to help her? Coughing a few times, Rei whistled rather loudly, to the point where the other boys had to cover their ears. This caught the phoenix's attention.

          [Dranzer?]

          {What? You actually speak?}

          [Obviously.]

          {Well what do you want.} From her tone, she wasn't happy to be speaking to Rei of all people.

          [To see if you're ok.]

          {I would be if that turtle hadn't unleashed his torrential tidal attack on me. I've been trained to handle water, but not a flood!}

          [I'm sorry about that, he was only trying to stop the battle.]

          {Congratulations to him, he did.}

          [Look, I already told Kai I was sorry. Max and his Draciel weren't supposed to interfere.]

          {Hmph.} 

          'Like master like pet I guess.' [Listen, I'm going to help you whether you like it or not, but it'd be in your best interest to cooperate.] She stared at him intently, gazing directly into his amber eyes, searching. Rei knew not to blink, having grown up around phoenixes he knew that to at least gain a fraction of their trust you had do this. After a few seconds she blinked and looked back to Kai, purposely spreading her wings as far as she could without feeling pain. Rei smiled and placed his hands gently around her neck and the area where her wings met her body.

          [Thank you.]

          {Since you don't seem to have any hidden motives, I see no reason why I should turn down your help.} He massaged the base of her left wing, which she landed on.

          [Too bad your master doesn't think like you do.] 

          {Master Kai doesn't need help.} 

          [It doesn't seem like he wants anything to do with anyone.] 

          {And what is wrong with that? He is a private person.}

          [You can't live your entire life in solitude.]

          {The other boy, Tyson, he lives with Master Kai.}

          [They don't seem close.]

          {On some level they are, and that proves that Master Kai does not live alone.}

          [That's not the same thing.] Feeling soft fur brush against his bare arm, Rei turned to Driger and took the branches of berries in his mouth. "Thanks Drig." Twisting a few off he held them out to Dranzer. [These will help you.] She didn't even hesitate to eat them from his hand, picking off each one.

          "What did you just feed her?" It was more of a command than a question, but Rei didn't mind. If Kai gave something to Driger he'd be worried too.

          "Don't worry, they're just some special berries that should help her." He twisted off a few more and put them on the floor so that the phoenix could have more. Then he stood and handed the branch to the bluenette. "It's not poison or anything."

          "For your sake it had better not be." Rei sighed, snapped one off and tossed it into his mouth. 

          "It's not." He swallowed and ate another. "You can try one if you think that I'm immune." Kai didn't take up his offer, but Tyson did.

          "I'll take one!" 

          "Um Tyson, I don't think you should…"

          "Why not? You said it wasn't poison or anything."

          "Yea, but there's something you should know about them first-"

          "Down the hatch." He threw it up and caught it in his mouth, the fiery juice flowing down his throat in seconds. "Huh…H-H-H-HOT!!!!!!" He ran around them like crazy until Kai pushed him into the lake. He surfaced in seconds, breathing out a sigh of relief. "That's one spicy meatball." Rei shook his head.

          "I tried to warn you." Picking another berry off the branch he held it in front of him. "There's a reason why they're so small and so red. These fruits aren't for the weak of heart, or tongue rather. As you already know, the juice is extremely spicy. That's what the red is for. As for the size, it's kind of like a safety precaution. So that when someone tries one, they'll be happy to know that it was only a small dose." Tyson climbed out of the lake and slumped next to Kenny, who was finding all of this quite interesting.

          "Well then how come you can eat them like candy?" Rei blinked and tossed it into his mouth.

          "Guess I just got used to them." He was about to eat another but Dranzer snuck up behind him and snatched it for herself.

          "And Dranzer?" Kenny answered that for him.

          "Think about it Tyson, Dranzer is a phoenix, if she can use fire attacks like her Flame Saber, do you really think that eating a few of those berries will be anything special?" 

          "Then what about Kai? Were you trying to trick him into burning his mouth?"

          "No. Actually I didn't even think of that. I just thought that he'd be able to take the heat if he trains a phoenix." Kai stroked Dranzer's plumage; she still looked a little weak to him.

          "How long until she'll be back to full health?"

          "Um…it shouldn't be too long. Maybe if you left her here overnight-"

          "What?!" Rei didn't flinch from his sudden tone.

          "She can't fly back with you that's for sure. If you hadn't noticed, our mountain is pretty high and she wasn't hit by any ordinary wave. Draciel has power over water, making that attack fairly strong. It'd be better if she stayed here, where she grew up. The woods would do her some good."

          "And how the hell would you know?!" Rei walked right up to him and tapped his forehead.

          "Hello? Haven't you noticed that I know a thing or two about animals from the Umber Woods? Believe me, just being around other phoenixes will make her better than any medication will. Whenever Driger is tired I send him to the other tigers for a few hours and when he comes back he's better than ever." Kai slapped his hand away and grabbed the collar of his shirt.

          "Dranzer isn't like your pussy cat. Just because spending time with its litter makes him a kitty again doesn't mean it will be the same for her." He stood up to meet his gaze.

          "Well if you think being around your fiery attitude and hot air will bring her fire back you are sadly mistaken." They were inches from each other, glaring with a fierce anger and stubbornness. A roar from Driger caused them both to break the contest though. 

          "Tell your pet to stay out of this." He roared again, the sounds coming with short intervals in between. 

          "What?" Max got suspicious.

          "Rei…what is he saying?" Rei listened carefully, and then looked up to the mountaintop. 

          "What do you mean saying? They're actually talking?" Rei shushed Tyson's questions.

          "Rei?" One more roar and a familiar sound confirmed it.

          "It's Robert." Kai looked at him.

          "What?" The raven-haired boy quickly broke from his grasp and pushed him towards the lake. "What are you doing?!"

          "Robert's coming back! You guys have to go now!"

          "Not without Dranzer." He struggled to return to his phoenix, only to find that Rei was a lot stronger than he thought.

          "I told you, she'll be fine! I'll send her back tomorrow!" With another shove he was in the water, soon followed by Tyson and Kenny. "Go under the waterfall and straight through the forest, hurry!"

          "But I thought we'd have more time to talk-" Max motioned Draciel to help them through.

          "No time! Hurry Draciel, make sure they get through!" Grabbing the cloak he had dropped earlier the blonde took off, disappearing in the brush.

          "But-whoa!" The giant turtle didn't listen to them, using his strength he pushed the boys through, and then closed off the entrance, knowing that they could make it from there. 

          "Come on Dranzer, we have to get you to the tree!" Rei carefully lifted the weakened phoenix onto Driger's back. 

"Let's go Rei!" He shook his head and went back to the lake.

"No, go on! I'll cover for you!" With a nod, Max and the tiger took off, leaving Rei behind. He tossed his coat to Max as he left and made sure any sign of the boys were gone as a shadow flew above him. It landed a few feet from him and walked over to the boy in two or three strides. The raven-haired boy quickly sat down and tried to act natural. 

          "What are you doing here Rei?" Shrugging his shoulders innocently Rei shook his head.

          "Just…just enjoying the waterfall." Emphasizing his story he dipped his feet into the water and playfully splashed around. "It's such a nice day I figure I should make the best of it."

          "Um hm…and what about Max? Shouldn't he be enjoying the day too?" 

          "Uh, he is! In fact, he was just here! But he left to go lie by our tree with Driger." Robert crossed his arms.

          "Really."

          "Yup! Really." His voice was too sweet, his tone too cute…but what could he be hiding? He decided to ask Grypholyion later when he reached his cliff.

          "All right. Don't stay out too long, don't want to be burned."

          "Ok." He stayed there until Robert flew away, and then he laid back and sighed. "That was a little too close for comfort." Hearing that, Max poked his head out from the safety of the trees and jogged over to him.

          "Next time we should be more careful." Rei opened his eyes and was met by Max's blue ones. 

          "What do you mean next time? And what are you doing here? What if Robert goes to check the tree?" The blond sat next to him.         

          "He won't. I saw him fly off to his cliff. And I meant the next time those guys come here." Rei bolted up.

          "They are not coming back." He said simply. The blonde pouted.

          "Why not?" 

          "It's too dangerous. Next time Robert might catch us." Max trailed his finger through the grass.

          "But…but they have to come back to get Dranzer."

          "No, I told Kai that I'd send Dranzer back tomorrow. They won't have to come."

          "But they're our friends." Rei stared at him. "Ok…Tyson and Kenny are our friends." He shook his head, got up and walked back into the forest, with Max in toe. 

          "No Max."

          "Please?"

          "No." He hung his head.

          "It's not fair. Just because you don't like Kai doesn't mean that the other two can't come back." Rei sighed.

          "It's not that, though I do not like Kai. Letting them come here is too dangerous. It was already bad enough that they know about us, but knowing about our home?" Max placed his hands behind his back and sighed. 

          "They won't tell anyone."

          "I'm not worried about the two of them, it's the third Musketeer that I don't trust." 

~*~

          "So, we're going to go back, right?" Kai didn't answer, and kept walking. "We have to get Dranzer after all."

          "Didn't Rei say that he was going to send her back tomorrow?"

          "Oh Chief, you know that Kai doesn't trust him. Oh, is that why we aren't going back? Is it because of Rei?" Again he stayed silent. "If you stopped arguing with him for a minute you'd see that he's not a bad guy. He's nice, like Max." 

          'I already know he's nice. His fighting side isn't bad either…neither is his body-argh…no. Focus. Ok, I found them. That's what's important. I found both of them. Now I just have to lure them away from their home so that I can give them to Tala. I guess that means I have to stop arguing with Rei. And I have to figure out a way to get back in there so that I can get on good ground with him.'

          "Hello? Kai are you in there?" Tyson stood in front of him, waving his hands like mad.

          "What?"

          "At least we know you're alive. I asked you when we were going to go back." Kai brushed past him.

          "I don't know."

          "But we are going back, right?"

          "Obviously." 

          "Then when?"

          "I said I don't know yet." He said in a dangerously low tone, stating that he was getting quite annoyed. No one talked as they made their way out of the forest and into the streets, which were still full of people. 'Ugh, I forgot. The festival isn't over yet.'

          "Hey, the festival isn't over yet! Cool! Come on, let's go!" He grabbed Kenny's hand and ran to the stands. "Aren't you coming Kai? Uh…Kai?" He turned to find that the bluenette was already gone. "Where'd he go?"

          "Tyson! Kenny! There you are!" Before the boys could see who it was two girls tackled them. 

          "We were so worried about you!"

          "Yea, where did you guys go?" It was Mariah and Emily.

          "You were worried?" Mariah put her hands on her hip.

          "Of course we were Tyson! One minute we were following you two into the forest, the next you disappear into thin air! What happened?!"

          "You wouldn't believe it! We were-mrph." Kenny quickly covered his mouth.

          "Tyson! We promised, remember?!" He let go of him when the boy nodded.

          "Oh yea! Thanks Chief." Emily pointed at them accusingly. 

          "Wait, what were you saying?! Spit it out Tyson we know you two know something." Kenny and Tyson back away, grinning sheepishly.

          "We know nothing! Honest!"

          "Yea, we just…ran off! Heh heh…" Mariah and Emily exchanged glances and then turned to them again. 

          "Cut the act! What happened?!" With a few more steps the boys dashed off, trying to lose the girls in the sea of people. 

          "You can't get away that easily Kenny! I know where you live!" They chased after them, determined to find out what they were hiding.

~*~

          Kai closed the door firmly behind him, locking it encase Tyson came home early. He always locked the door to his room, privacy being very important to him. He then walked over to the balcony, snatching the phone on his way. He dialed the familiar number and brought it up to his ear, waiting for the red head to pick up. 

          "Moshi moshi?"

          "Tala."

          "Kai. I didn't expect to hear from you for a while."

          "I told you I wasn't losing my touch, I just needed a little luck."

          "So I presume you found it?"

          "Hn."

          "Then when should I come over?" Kai smirked and leaned against the railing. 

          "Not for a week or so like I said earlier."

          "Why?"

          "Just because I found him doesn't mean I've captured him." On the other end Tala drummed his fingers on the table. "It'll take a while for me to gain his trust, but I assure you Tala, you will get him."

          "So it's a he?" Kai walked back inside, sliding the door to a close.

          "Evidently."

          "Interesting, from the photograph I would have thought it to be female." He sat on his bed and picked up the photo Tala had given him. 

          "That's why I'm the "hired help" and you're the client." As Bryan walked in the red head motioned him to sit and wait while he wrapped things up with Kai. 

          "Give me updates."

          "Of course." He clicked the off button and placed the phone back in the charger before falling onto his bed. On the other side Tala also turned off the phone and put it aside. 

          "How's he doing?" He looked over to the other boy.

          "He found them. It'll just take a little while for him to get them."

          "How long?" Tala crossed his arms and leaned back.

          "He said one or two weeks, but knowing Kai, it'll probably be a little longer." Bryan huffed. 

          "As long as we get them." 

          "Don't worry, he won't let us down." Bryan shook his head.

          "He better not. Otherwise it'll be our heads."

~*~

          Max hadn't brought up the subject of letting Tyson or his friends come back the rest of the day. He knew better than to argue with Rei, when his mind was set on something, he was as stubborn as the best of them. He figured he'd try again in the morning, so that night he left the neko-jin with Dranzer. The phoenix had taken quite well to her old home, the warm, familiar atmosphere undoubtedly raising her spirits. After she had flown around the forest, she returned to Rei's side for the remainder of the day, the raven-haired boy didn't know why though. He welcomed her company in any case; the two wandering around until it grew dark and it was time to sleep. 

          Rei was currently lying in an open field by the boys' tree, staring at the star-filled sky as he prepared to go to sleep. Dranzer was sitting close by him, grooming herself quietly. Deciding to try something, Rei spoke up in his normal voice.

          "Dranzer?" The phoenix stopped preening and looked over to him, she gave a chirp. "Do you understand me?" She nodded.

          {Your words are a little fuzzy, though I am surprised that I can understand.}

          "Well, when I spend a lot of time with a particular animal from the Umber Woods, I'm able to communicate with them without having to speak their language. It'll be a little while longer until things are completely smooth though."

          {It would be nice I suppose.} She hopped over to him. {Do you think you can teach Master Kai to understand me as well?} Rei propped himself up with his elbows and turned to face the curious bird.

          "Well, it's not something you learn. It's more like something you're born with." She tilted her head.

          {Master Kai is a quick study. He can learn if you teach him.}

          "First of all, if Kai won't listen to me, he probably won't let me teach him anything. Second, I told you, it's not something you can learn."

          {Master Kai isn't like any other human; he is special. I understand some things he says, and at times it's almost as if we can communicate. Please try?} Rei had to give her credit, despite the bluenette's cold personality; she still stayed by his side. Dranzer didn't seem to notice Kai's anti-social attitude, and acted as if he were the most important thing to her. Not it was Rei's turn to not understand. What side of him does she see that he doesn't? 

          "I don't know Drazner. I don't think we can get along long enough for me to teach him anything." She perched beside him and nudged his cheek.

          {If he listens, will you try?} Rei stared at her again, this time meeting her beady eyes. She was truly sincere. He sighed. It was just like before with Driger. There was just something about the creatures from the Umber Woods that struck a cord in his heart. He couldn't say no to him, and now he couldn't say no to her. 

          "I…I guess-if he listens. There's no guarantee that he'll even speak to me you know." She chirped and nipped his ear in thanks before flapping her wings and taking off, disappearing into the dark emerald trees. Rei fell back onto the grass, feeling the reeds brush slightly against his arms. 'What next? A dragon who wants me to house-train it?' He closed his eyes and curled up into a ball, slowly slipping into a light slumber.  

~*~*~*~

(1) Kai gave it to him. Even if he's too young to have it, tools like that and the smoke bomb he used in the lake last chapter are given to him by his employers to help his mission along.

(2) Being mythical creatures, they do have powers, mainly over their element. 

SS-They sure like arguing don't they? 

Tym-Yup! Just like you and me. 

SS-Don't worry, they'll make nice sooner or later. ^^ Until next time! Catch ya later! 


	4. Deals and dragons

SS-So this is chapter…3. Ok…how confusing.

Tym-But it's your story!

SS-It's still very confusing. But I think I'll get a handle on it sooner or later. Anyways, 23 reviews?!?!? WOW! ^^ That's so cool! Thanks everyone! 

Tym-Surprising…

SS-Let's thank all you nice reviewers shall we? 

Tym-Like I have a choice…even if I am the one typing all this stuff. My poor claws. =(

**#Thank you…#**

Devilburns, Mistostrap, darkdragon32, Rena star, Vixen-Ra, and Chibi Kitty!

~Porticulis – A hippogriff? Maybe (…yes). Thanks for reviewing again!

~Platinum Rei – Hm…interesting guess. It does seem like that's where things are going doesn't it? Maybe you'll change your mind after this chapter…or at least have more info about what I'm planning. ^^ Then again, I'm not too sure where I'm going with this…I better start planning.

~ChibiDevil Amber*Silver.s – Arghie!! Don't send the devils after me! *hides behind Tym* Don't worry, I'm writing as fast as he can type =)

~Keisan – Yea, they'll be arguing for a while, because usually I read fics where Rei and Kai get along and I figured, why not make things a little more interesting? But sooner or later they will stop…um hm…it's all a matter of time and chapters. 

~Admiral2 – Obviously they'll get together, but when? Hm…depends on how fast I can get chapters out ^__^ Yup, Kai's already got Rei on his mind…he just can't stop thinking about how cute he is.

Kai-…ahem… 

SS-Eep! Oky, this seems like a good time to start the fic…start Tym! *runs away*

~notes~

[stuffy] Driger talking

{more stuffy} Dranzer talking

~even more stuffy~ …you'll find out who's talking 

~*~*~*~

Loving Legends

Chapter 3 – Deals and dragons

Disclaimer: See chapter…uh…the prologue ^^

~[{This chapter is dedicated to my good friend **Shadow **(aka Stephen), whose birthday is on the 30th, the day before Halloween! (How cool is that?) Happy birthday **Shadow**! Thanks for keeping me company on-line and for introducing me to YGO.]}~

~*~*~*~

          It was a beautiful new day. There was a light bustle outside, mainly the early birds of the town cleaning up from yesterday's festivities. Towards the residential side, things were pretty quite. It was around seven, so it's no wonder most people were still dreaming. The sun however, had other plans. Bright rays slowly crawled across Kai's balcony and streamed through the sheer curtains, eventually stopping on the bluenette's face. He tried to roll away, but to no avail. The light was determined to wake him up.

"Uh…" He pulled the blankets over his face, and then groaned when the rays filtered through them. "Argh…stupid thin sheets." He flung the covers away and sat up, rubbing his eyes and yawning. Normally he was up a few minutes after the sun had breached the horizon, but today he was a little sluggish. "Damn Tyson and his moods…"

Last night his roommate had come home in a rather happy disposition. Chipper than usual. It resulted in staying up late with the television and keeping Kai awake. When he heard him come home he would have sent Dranzer down to take the remote only to realize that his trusty phoenix was resting in the Umber Woods. Since he was rather tired that night, Kai tried to drown him out…it didn't work. He gave up around one, went down to the basement and shut the power off, returning to bed with a sigh. Now he had slept in because of it all, things weren't getting off to a good start.

"Guess I have to turn the power back on." He ran a hand through his messy hair and got up, stretching a little. As he left for the bathroom he whistled on reflex, when no response came he looked back to find an empty perch. "Oh Dranzer…" He stood there for a moment, weighing his options. "She's more important, besides, I'm sure Tyson can figure out how to turn it back on, eventually." He got ready quickly, anxious to have the phoenix at his side again.

~*~

          {Rei.}

"Mmm…" He rolled onto his side, curling into a tighter ball. Dranzer pecked at his cheek again.

{Rei-neko, it's time to wake up.} He shrugged her off and tried to bury his head under his arms. {Honestly you are as stubborn as young Tyson.} She nudged at his arm with her talon. {Master Kai will be coming soon, if not already. Please get up.} 

"Nn…too early." He was right; normally he wouldn't wake up for another hour or so. And the sun didn't bother him; he actually liked taking naps under the sun's warm beams.

{Please Rei-neko we have to meet master Kai.} Getting very frustrated she grabbed his tail of hair in her beak and tugged at it. {Let's go!} She pulled harder, only resulting in the white wrap it was encased in to break, allowing his long raven hair to cascade over him like a blanket. 

"Nnn…what did you do?" She tossed the ribbon aside and poked him again.

{Get up and you'll see.} Groaning, the neko-jin sat up, his lengthy tresses falling in front of his half open golden eyes. He blew some of it away with a breath and then turned to the bird. 

"Are you asking to be extinct?" 

{We must go. Master Kai is probably already at the entrance waiting for us.} The boy gathered his locks and tossed them behind his head, and then rummaged through his pockets for another band for his hair.

"I told him that I'd drop you off, why would he come here? And at the crack of dawn no less?" She tossed her head towards the waterfall.

{Master Kai always gets up this early, usually earlier. And if he was wary of letting you help me, then he most certainly wouldn't want me to stay here any longer than I need to.} She hopped away, hoping the boy would follow. {Come Rei-neko, we don't want to keep him waiting. Otherwise he might come in to retrieve me.} He sighed as his hand came out of his last pocket, empty. 

"Fine, as soon as I get another wrap for my-ow!" Reaching the end of her rope, Dranzer nabbed his hair and began dragging him.

{There's no time. We mustn't keep master Kai waiting.} Rei quickly stood up and held his dark tresses, trying to loosen her hold on it. 

"I can walk just fine thank you very much! And why do you keep calling me that?!" She kept her hold, picking up the pace, only letting go when they approached the waterfall.

{You were taking too long. And you remind me of a cat.} He rubbed his head, feeling as if the bird had yanked out bundles of his now tangled hair.

"Well we're here ok?" He looked over to the lake and sighed. "Guess we better get this over with." His gaze wandered to the phoenix. "I'll see you on the other side." Dranzer nodded and flew up, beginning her climb up the tall mountainside as Rei dove into the water. 

~*~

          Kai had arrived at the entrance to the mysterious side of the Umber Woods a few minutes later than he had expected, having run into a distraction along the way…two distractions actually.

Flashback 

          _Kai left the house quietly, not wanting to wake Tyson and have him complain to him about the power. It was pretty easy considering he went to sleep pretty late and didn't always wake up this early unless there was food involved. Still, Kai was careful. He reached the edge of town soon enough, and was about to disappear into the forest until an annoying voice caught his ear. _

_          "Kai Hiwatari, stop where you are!" The bluenette stopped in his tracks, turning slowly to see a pink-haired girl jog towards him. He wouldn't have, but he couldn't have Mariah following him when he was going to get Dranzer. The last thing he needed was for her to find out about Rei and Max. _

_          "Kai we have to talk to you about something!" Emily came after her, clutching her own laptop under her arm._

_          "What is it, I'm busy." The oranges –haired girl nodded._

_          "We know Kai, that's what we wanted to talk to you about!" Mariah looked around to make sure no one was around before whispering her words._

_          "We know about those creatures you found on the other side of the mountain." Kai inwardly cursed. Did they know? Had Kenny let it slip already? He kept his face expressionless for the time being._

_          "Yes Mariah, I know you do." She looked surprised._

_          "You do?" He crossed his arms._

_          "Of course. Practically everyone knows that I hunt for mythical creatures in the Umber Woods. That's my job Mariah." The pink-haired youth growled._

_          "That's not what I meant Kai and you know it!" Emily shushed her._

_          "Kai cut the talk. We know about…those two "special" creatures you found the other day. The ones that are half human." She emphasized the last two words, looking into his eyes knowingly, looking for any sigh of emotion._

_          'Damn it, I knew he couldn't keep his mouth shut.' The analyzer caught his reaction and smiled._

_          "Don't worry, we won't tell anyone; however…" _

_          "We want to meet them too!" Kai glanced at both of them before turning to head into the forest. Mariah clung onto his arm. "Please Kai?! We'll behave!" He shook his head and tried to shrug her off._

_          "Come on Kai, it would be such a great experience! You can't expect us to pass up an opportunity like this!" The bluenette tore Mariah's hand off his arm and stared at both of them._

_          "If you want to meet them so badly," He walked away. "Then go find them yourself." The two girls just followed him, never knowing that he was leading them on a wild goose chase. When he had strayed far from the real path, he ducked away and went towards the waterfall, already painfully behind schedule. _

End Flashback 

          'I hope Dranzer can hear me, and those annoying girls can't.' He gave three sharp blasts, and looked up towards the mountaintop, waiting for a response. 'It could be too far.' He was about to try again, until a splash caught his attention. He turned his gaze to find the boy he met yesterday, Rei, ringing his hair out. 'Looks like Dranzer woke him up. Hm…he looks quite different with his hair down. It looks nice-argh…I have to stop that.'

          "I guess Dranzer was right, you don't trust me to bring her back myself." On cue, the phoenix came over the top and screeched upon seeing the bluenette. Kai didn't even need to look, he merely held out his hand and she perched on it, nuzzling his face affectionately. 

          "I rather do things myself." He stroked the bird's red plumage with a small smile. "Glad to see you got your fire back."

          "I told you a day at home would do her good." He walked up to him and reached into his pocket. "But let's not go into that again. It's too early to argue." Rei pulled out a pouch and handed it to him. He accepted it reluctantly. "Some berries, just in case she feels a little weak." Kai gazed into his eyes with wonder; something about the raven-haired boy really fascinated him. 

          "Hn…thanks." Rei smiled. 

          "No problem, it was nice having Dranzer around." The bluenette made a mental note to himself, the boy was really nice when he smiled. "Well, I better go." He yawned, covering his mouth slightly. "This is still pretty early to me, so I'm going to go back to slee-" Dranzer intervened with a screech, flapping her wings at him. 

          "Dranzer what's wrong?" Kai tried to calm her; this was strange behavior for the usually mild phoenix. 

          {You promised to ask, Rei-neko. Ask him.} Rei sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.

          "But I'm tired." Kai was confused, even more so when his faithful bird screeched again, as if responding to him.

          {You said that you'd try, so you must.} Bowing his head in defeat he ran a hand through his mess of hair.

          "Only because it's too early to bicker…especially to an Umber Wood creature." He turned to the perplexed bluenette and began explaining. "Um…last night Dranzer and I were talking, and we were getting along fairly well. I guess that gave her an idea because she asked me if I could teach you how to." He tilted his head to the phoenix.

          "How to…talk to Dranzer?" He moved his head from side to side.

          "Basically."

          "You can teach that kind of skill?" Rei shrugged his shoulders.

          "Honestly I don't know. I've never tried to before."

          "Didn't Robert teach you?" 

          "No. Robert can't talk to animals, except for Grypholyion of course, but…yea. I don't know how, but I think I taught myself." Kai thought about it for a minute. 

          "What about Max? You didn't teach him?" The raven-haired youth shook his head.

          "He can't talk to animals either. It must come with the package." He motioned to his ears and tail. "It might work. I never tried so I'm not sure about the results." He crossed his arms. "But since you two are so close I think there's a possibility you can communicate with each other. That is…if you're willing to try." It was a very tempting offer, especially to a hunter like Kai. If he could talk with Dranzer, it'd make his missions a lot smoother. 

          'He could teach me how to understand Dranzer? I can't pass this up. He never tried it before though…so it might not work. Then again, it wouldn't be too bad if it didn't work out. I'd still be around Rei, and after I get his trust, I can ask him to come to the house for one of the lessons and I can hand him over to Tala. It's a win-win situation.' Kai nodded.

          "I don't see why we can't give it a try." Dranzer chirped enthusiastically, overjoyed with the thought of being able to really talk with her master. Rei smiled.

          "It seems like Dranzer already understands you. This shouldn't take too long. Oh wait, if I do this for you, you have to do something for me." Kai cursed under his breath, he knew there was a catch.

          "What?"

          "You have to promise me something." 

          "One thing?" Rei scratched his cheek.

          "Well, one or two…or three." Kai glared at him mildly. 

          "That isn't a fair trade. One favor."

          "One…ok I guess that's fair." Rei looked over to the waterfall as he debated over his choices. Originally he wanted Kai to never come back after he had finished teaching him, not to tell anyone about them, and to not hurt Max or Robert. That was a lot to ask for, but his skills as a type of linguist was valuable too. However, he could understand this from Kai's point of view too, so he had to pick one of them.

          'Well, I doubt he'll leave us alone after I teach him, so that one's out. And even if he promises not to tell anyone, how do I know he hasn't _already_ told someone? The promise starts as of now, so that would be pointless. The only safe choice is to make sure he doesn't hurt Max. Robert can take care of himself, and so can I, but Max…it's not that I think he's a baby or anything, he can just be careless at times. I know when to get serious, and technically Max is younger than me by a few months and won't be fifteen for a few more weeks. Yea, that works. So even if he sends someone after us, on his word he can't harm Max.' Rei walked over to him and nodded.

          "Ok, if I teach you how to speak to Dranzer, you have to promise that you won't harm Max in any way." Kai was a little surprised by that. He certainly hadn't expected that as his favor. "You have to swear on your honor that you won't harm him." He held out his hand, waiting for him to respond. "Do we have a deal?" Kai's gaze shifted from the boy's golden eyes to his hand.

          'This changes things a little. If I want to be able to talk to Dranzer and get him to come to the house, I have to accept this. But what about Tala? Will he mind if his order is cut down to one? Well, come to think of it, he didn't make a big deal about Max. In fact, he only handed me a picture of Rei. It didn't seem like he cared much for the blonde. So the reward won't be smaller if I only bring in Rei since Max tagged along. I guess it wouldn't hurt to accept his conditions.' Kai took his hand and held it firmly, sealing the deal.

          "Looks like we have an agreement, your lessons for your friend's safety." Rei stared at the handshake and nodded.

          "Yea." His eyes met Kai's ruby ones. "And you can't go back on your word." He shook his head.

          "As long as you teach I won't." Finally settling that Rei let go and grinned. 

          "Then we can start in a few hours…after I get some sleep." His serious mood had lifted completely; it was as if their exchange had never happened. "Really, I don't know how you can do this everyday. I'm so…tired…" He yawned again. "Meet me back here in…a couple hours." He tried to walk away, but Kai grabbed his arm.

          "Wait." Rei glanced back.

          "What?" The bluenette let go of him.

          "If the deal is in effect as of now, I have to warn you." Rei's gaze narrowed.

          'I knew it, he already told someone about us…that jerk.' "Who did you tell?" It was more of a command than a question.

          "I didn't." Kai crossed his arms. "Do you remember yesterday when Max brought Tyson and Kenny over the mountain? He mentioned something about two girls right? Well one of them lives with Kenny, and…let's just say he's no Fort Knox." Rei couldn't believe it, he had only just met them yesterday and already they were breaking promises and telling the town. He sighed and began to think.

          "Great…just great…hm…" 

          "Don't you have some kind of memory potion? Or something like that?" Rei shook his head.

          "I'm not a wizard or anything, all the powders I have are from healing herbs in the forest, none of it is magic. I can't just throw something at them, say a few words and their memory will be erased." He bit his bottom lip and walked towards the lake. "Hm…" As he looked at his reflection in the water a shadow soared above him, disappearing behind the mountain. "Huh?" Rei quickly snapped his head up, but the creature was already gone. "Maybe…" Kai looked up too, trying to see what Rei had seen.

          "Maybe what?" The raven-haired boy smirked.

          "I think there is a way out of this. I'm going to need your help though." The bluenette met his gaze.

          "What?"

          "I need you to get those two girls here in about…fifteen minutes." 

          "Why?" Rei smiled.

          "Just do it." With that he dove into the water again, leaving a confused Kai and an equally baffled Dranzer alone. Kai tilted his head to the phoenix.

          "Do you know what the hell he's up to?" She shook her head. "Well that makes two of us." The bird flew off his shoulder and hovered in front of him. "All right, let's go find those lost geese." He glanced at his watch and then jogged into the forest, it shouldn't take too long.

~*~

          "Driger!" He whistled again. "Driger!" Rei was running back to the tree, knowing his blonde-haired friend was probably there sleeping. "Come one Drig, where are you?" Another whistle. "I need your help." Before he reached Max, Driger came to his call, looking a little tired. 

          [Do you have any idea how early it is?]

          "I know, sorry, but I need a favor." He sat down and yawned, bearing his large incisors. 

          [Like what?] He grinned.

          "What do you say to a little trip to the Dragon den?" Driger stared at him in disbelief.

          [The Dragon den?! Why do you want me to go there? You know that dragons are rarely there; it's only where young ones are born. And please don't tell me you want me to ask something from a pregnant dragoness.]

          "I never said I wanted to find a dragon."

          [Then why the den?]

          "Because that's where a dragon scale would be." 

          [You want me to bring you a dragon scale? Why?]

          "I just need one…or two." Driger licked his paw.

          [What if there are none? You know that area is highly windy, what if a gale swept them all away?]

          "Then you'll need to find me a dragon." Driger stood up and shook his head.

          [You know how elusive they are, there's no way I'm going to comb through the forest for one.] Rei pushed him along.

          "Then you had better hope that there's a scale in that cave. Now go, I have to wake Max." Driger growled in annoyance.

          [Fine, but when I get back you'll have some explaining to do.] As the big cat took off, so did Rei. Now that part one was done, he had to start part two. And it he could only do that when he found Max. 

          "That wasn't too hard." Just as he had predicted, there was the blonde, fast asleep under the mighty oak tree. He reached him in one or two strides and proceeded to wake him up. "Max. Max wake up." He shook the boy's arm, trying to rouse him from his slumber. "Come on Maxie, it's time to get up!" The younger one stirred, but only tried to scoot away from him.

          "Nn-o…too early…" Rei wouldn't take that, he had to get the boy up and over to the lake to meet Kai.

          "I know it's early, but believe me, after you've taken a dip in the lake you'll be wide awake." Max swatted his hand away.

          "Come back later…lots later please…" The raven-haired boy sighed and tried again. This time he used the end of his long locks and brushed them against the boy's nose. 

          "Wakie wakie Maxie…" Sure enough the blonde started to get agitated and sniffled. 

          "Ah…ah…ACHOO!!!" He sat up and rubbed his nose. "Ugh…what did you do that for?" Rei tossed his hair back again and grabbed his hand.

          "We have to go, I'll explain on the way." He took off with the angel in toe, he didn't know what time it was, so he had to get there as soon as he could.

~*~

          [Go to the Dragon den Driger, find a scale Driger, search the forest if you have to Driger…sheesh, what next Rei?] The tiger turned again, the den in his sights. [Sometimes I think you take me for granted little Rei. What would you do if I weren't here?] He quickly climbed up the rocky hill and jumped onto the open ledge, now only a few feet away from the entrance to the cave. [You better have a good explanation Rei; it's too early to scale a hill for a scale.] 

          He entered silently, in case there was indeed a dragon hidden in the darkness. Sure he was strong, but the tiger knew that against a full frown dragon he didn't have much of a chance. He sniffed the ground, trying to find one that way. [I felt a breeze on my way here, I hope it didn't clean out the cave.] Suddenly his ears perked up and his glanced behind him. [What was that?] He distinctly heard a footstep, but who was there? Forgetting about the scale, Driger turned around and assumed prowling position, getting ready to attack whatever was watching him. 

          [An adult dragon wouldn't sneak up on its prey would it? I thought they used their brute force to take down the enemy first.] As he neared the mouth of the cave again he spotted a spiked tail poking out from behind a rock. Driger snickered. [This one must be losing their touch.] He pulled back, and then took a few strides and lunged at the dragon. 

          ~Don't think it'll be that easy! Phantom hurricane!~

          [What?] Just when Driger was about to strike, an enormous hurricane stopped him, sending him flying back into the cave. [I'm not out yet.] Using all his strength, Driger dug his claws into the floor, standing his ground. [It'll take more than a little breeze to blow me over!] Slamming his tail onto the earth the cave began to shake, the rocks in the den beginning to fall. 

          ~What?~ Driger raced towards him, bearing his fangs.

          [Watch out for my tiger claw!] Without hesitation, the tiger leapt up and slashed at the rocks with one paw, and then used the second to attack the dragon. 

          ~Ah!!!~ He tried to evade, but was still hit by the razor-sharp claws, sending him flying off the ledge. Driger landed gracefully, still growling. He knew that a dragon couldn't be taken down so easily, so he approached the ridge cautiously.

          [It didn't sound like a female, so what was a dragon doing here?] When he was a yard away a large claw reached up and attached to the rock. Driger backed away and took a defensive position. [I knew that was too easy.] He snarled as the dragon lifted itself back up onto the ledge. It wasn't an adult dragon, which was why the hurricane attack didn't hurt too much. However, it wasn't a newborn, otherwise he couldn't have been strong enough to get back up. And it wasn't female, so why was it here? 

          ~Man…no wonder we leave tigers alone.~ Driger snapped out of his train of thought and approached the creature again. It was a blue dragon, noted for it's spiked tail and extended claws. This type of dragon wasn't able to fly, for it had no wings, but it had great power over the wind, it's natural element, so he didn't need them. 

          [What are you doing here?] The dragon picked itself up and stood before him. He was taller than him, but not by much. 

          ~I should be asking you that. What's a tiger doing in the dragon den?~

          [I came to search for something, and you?]

          ~It's my job to protect the den and this area of the forest, at least until I am fully matured.~ Driger tossed his head.

          [What's there to protect? Hardly any creature comes this far out of the forest.]

          ~Well you're living proof buddy.~

          [And a fine job you did of keeping me from the den.] The dragon glared at him as a breeze began to pick up around him. Driger growled, but it came out like a laugh. [Some guardian. And don't think that those little wafts you call attacks will hurt me. My element is earth; they hardly have any effect on me.] He raised his deadly claws.

          ~Argh…who are you anyway? What do you want?!~ Driger sat down, a simple act, but a big insult. By doing so, he was implying that the dragon was no longer a threat. 

          [I'm Driger. And I came here to get something for a friend.] 

          ~To get what?~ 

          [Hold your horses, who are you little one?] The dragon was really agitated now. 

          ~My name's Dragoon, and I'm not little!~ He walked right up to the tiger. ~I'm certainly bigger than you are kitty!~ 

          [Dragoon? How original is that? It's only one more 'o' to dragon. It's like naming a bird biird.] 

          ~WHAT?!~

          [And as for your height,] Driger stood up, now only an inch or two shorter. [Just because you're taller,] He slammed his tail against the ground again, creating a small quake. Dragoon faltered and fell over. [Doesn't mean you are necessarily stronger.] The blue dragon was fuming, he summoned a gale to lift him and place him higher than the tiger.

          ~All right, listen up! Either you pick yourself up and leave, or I'll be forced to do it!~ Driger merely snorted and walked away from the mouth of the cave. Dragoon smirked. ~That's right, just keep walking.~ 

          [I will, and you will too.] 

          ~I-wah? Ah!~ Driger took hold of the dragon's wrist with his tail and began his journey back to the waterfall. ~What do you think you're doing?!~

          [I came here to get a dragon scale, but since your breezes have cleaned out the den, I'll have to bring you back instead.] So the tiger kept pulling him along, despite Dragoon's useless struggles and gusts.

~*~

          "So now Kai is bringing those girls here?" Rei shook his head as he looked back into the forest, waiting for Driger to return. 

          "No, they're waiting on the other side of the waterfall."

          "And what are we waiting for?" Rei smiled as something caught his eye.

          "Driger." Max turned around to see the tiger walking towards them; however, neither Max nor Rei could believe what he was dragging behind him.

          ~Let go of me!~

          [We're almost there just enjoy the ride.]

          ~Enjoy?! You're practically pulling my arm off! Let go let go let go!~ Spotting the raven-haired youth up ahead he nodded.

          [Ok.] With one fluid motion, Driger flung Dragoon over his head and over to the boys. [In coming!] Rei's quick reflexes noticed the creature hurling towards them and knocked Max down before it hit them. The dragon landed in the lake, narrowly missing the mountainside. Rei looked up in surprise.

          "What the heck was that?!" He turned to see Driger standing next to him. "Driger, what was that?" As Max sat up, Dragoon surfaced and shook his head.

          ~When I said let go I meant let go…not throw! You'd think that big cats would have big brains…~

          [Watch what you say wind-master, remember that I have a lot of power here.] He jumped out of the water and summoned a gust to dry him.

          ~Yea yea…~ It was then that he noticed Rei and Max sitting across from him. ~Dang, what kind of humans are you?~

          [They are half humans obviously, the taller one is Rei, and the other is Max.]

          ~Oh yea, I remember Grypholyion saying something about you guys before. If they aren't like you Driger then I think we could be friends.~

          [Watch it…]

          "Um…Driger, I asked for a dragon scale, not a whole dragon." Driger sat down.

          [You said that if I couldn't find a dragon scale I could bring a dragon, so I did.]

          ~Wait a minute people! You want one of my scales?! Do you have ANY idea how much it hurts to lose one of my precious scales?! I rather have my power stripped from me! There's no way you are getting your hands on me!~ He turned away, very serious about this.

          [What a baby, can't even give up one scale.]

          ~We'll see who cries like a baby when he asks for one of your fangs, buddy.~ 

          "Hold it guys, hold it!" The two creatures glanced at Rei, who was getting confused. "Now, can we start from the beginning?" Max agreed.

          "Yea, that would help. Not that I can even understand…" Rei patted his tuft of blonde hair.

          "Don't worry, I'll translate." He faced Dragoon first. "Ok, so…you came from the dragon den?" The blue protector nodded. 

          ~Yes. I was on my rounds when I spotted that beast intruding.~ He pointed his claws at Driger. 

          [On your rounds, pff. Like that area needs guarding.]

          ~Quit while you're ahead kitty.~ Rei broke the hostile atmosphere to question again.

          "So you're the dragon guarding that neck of the forest?" He nodded.

          ~That's my job.~

          [And what a fine job you're doing.] Driger commented sarcastically. Rei ignored the tiger's comment and continued. 

          "Where are your borders?"

          ~Um…from the den to…uh…I think the waterfall. Yea, Amphy (1) was sent to another area so I got his territory too.~ Rei smiled.

          "So, it's your job to make sure this area is safe from…oh, let's say, humans?"

          ~Especially humans. If they found the entrance to this side of the Umber Woods no creatures would be safe from hunters.~

          "Then you wouldn't mind helping us out, would you?"

          ~Help you?~ Rei crouched down.

          "Yea, you see, this human somehow saw me coming in here through the waterfall, and now I need to stop him from following. That's why I needed a dragon scale. I was planning on making a sleeping powder to use on him, that way he would think it was all a dream and leave. But if you lend us a hand, I think we can come up with a better, safer way of erasing his memory of me." Dragoon scratched his chin.

          ~You're right; a simple sleeping powder from a dragon scale won't be enough. You'll definitely need my help if you want to get rid of that human.~

          "So you'll help?"

          ~Of course!~ He puffed out his chest and levitated a few feet from the ground with the help of the wind. ~It's my duty to protect this area from hunters! Tell me, when's this human coming?~ Rei looked up to the sky, tracking the time by its position.

          "Oh um…in about a minute or two." The dragon fell. 

          ~What?! Why didn't you tell me sooner?!~ He jumped into the lake in the blink of an eye, leaving a shocked Rei and Driger and a confused Max. 

          "What did he just say Rei?" 

          "That he was going to stop the human, I mean Kai. Man, I didn't want him to rush into this." He turned to Driger. "Stay here and make sure Robert doesn't find out. Give me a signal if he starts looking for us ok?" 

          [Right.] 

          "Come on Max, we got to do something about Dragoon before he makes things worse." The blonde nodded and went into the water with Rei as Driger ran off.

~*~ 

(A few minutes earlier…)

          It had taken a few minutes of wandering, but Kai eventually found the two girls sitting on a rock near the entrance to the forest. He told them that he had thought it over, and if they really wanted to, he would bring them to see the creatures. He took them the long way seeing as Rei had told him to meet back in fifteen minutes. Emily suspected that Kai was stalling since he was an expert hunter and he should know a quicker way through the woods by now. However she didn't say anything, if she wanted to see this creature for herself, she had to follow Kai's path.

          "So, what made you change your mind?" Mariah asked. The bluenette crossed his arms and kept his eyes forward.

          "I just figured if I show you now, you won't pester me about it later. That way I can concentrate on my assignment." The pink-haired girl nodded.

          "Glad you thought of that. Yes, we would have bothered you all day if you didn't."

          "Hn." He looked up to Dranzer who was keeping an eye out for any signs from Rei. 'I wonder what that tiger has planned. He said there was no magical way to clean up this mess, so what does he intend to do?' He checked his watch again; he had a few more minutes. Kai whistled for Dranzer to change direction, hoping that would be the last false-turn they would have to make. The girls followed him, both sighing in complaint. 'Whatever he's trying to do, it had better work. There's no way I'm having these nosy geese asking me to bring them here for visits.' 

          They reached the waterfall after combing through practically the whole forest; Kai stopped and leaned against a tree as the girls looked around.

          "Is this it?" Emily asked. "This is where they are?"

          "Well we didn't stop here for the view." She surveyed the area again. 

          "So, where are they?"

          "Just wait." That's all they could do, he was still a few minutes early. So Emily took a seat under an oak across from Kai, with Mariah joining her. 

          "Wonder what they're like."

          "Hopefully a little more talkative than Kai." The bluenette let the comments roll off, he wasn't in the mood to deal with them now. 

          'After this we can start the lessons, and I can start my plan. Hm, I'll have to tell Tala, this might take a little longer than two weeks. After all, Rei doesn't seem like the type to trust everyone he sees, and we're already off to a bad start so-huh?' He snapped out of his thoughts when Dranzer screeched. "Dranzer?!" Emily and Mariah turned to the phoenix too, confused by her sudden actions.

          "What's up with her Kai?"

          'That's a good question. Ugh…if only I knew what she was saying. Wait, what's that sound?' Kai looked over to the lake, it sounded like something was coming. Could it be Rei? Was that his plan, to expose himself? He got his answer soon enough when a blue blur exploded out of the still water and hovered before them, a gust surrounding them. When Kai finally got a good look at the creature, his eyes widened. 'A dragon?' Sure, he had gotten a variety of requests over the past year, but he hardly searched for a dragon, mainly because they were very elusive and their numbers were small. 

          ~Three?! Three humans have discovered us?! I thought Rei said there was only one??~ Dranzer flew over to him and began screeching.

          {What are you doing here? Dragons are supposed to stay in the forest and protect it.} The bluenette cursed, he really wished he could understand his phoenix.

          ~A phoenix? Why are _you_ here? These humans can catch you!~

          {I already belong to master Kai, now don't change the subject, what the hell are you doing out here?!} As they argued, Mariah and Emily stood up, staring at the two creatures in shock.

          "Is that really a dragon Emily, or am I just seeing things?"

          "That would make two of us if it isn't. But those aren't the animals we came to see, we walked all this way this early to meet two human-like creatures. Where are they?" 

          ~This is unacceptable, I got to do something right away.~ Dranzer flew in front of Kai.

          {If you so much as think about hurting master Kai you'll be the one in trouble.}

          ~ A threat from a phoenix? Like I should be worr-huh?~ Dragoon moved aside as something else came out of the water, or someone actually. A black tuft of hair broke the surface of the serene lake, soon followed by a yellow puff. ~It's about time you two showed up.~ Kai also acknowledged the boys' presence. 

          'Rei, Max. What are they thinking? How is this a plan?' Rei didn't notice the two girls or Kai yet; he was focused on the dragon.

          "Dragoon, what do you think you're doing?! You can't just burst out here, what if someone sees you?" Max tapped his shoulder.

          "Um Rei, I think someone already saw us."

          "What?" Rei turned and cursed, the two girls were gawking at him and Kai was shaking his head. "Oh…damn." Mariah squealed as Emily looked like she had just discovered a cave of gems. 

          "OH MY GOD THEY'RE REALLY REAL!!!" 

          "THIS IS AMAZING! WHAT A FIND!" They both rushed over to the boys, only to be stopped by Dranzer. She screeched at them, warding them away with her talons.

          {Stay away you incessant females!} Rei looked up to her thankfully as he got out of the lake.

          "Thanks Dranz." Max smiled and climbed out as well.

          "Yea, thank you. I don't know what you said, but thanks."

          ~HOLD IT!~ Rei snapped his head over to the dragon. ~This has gone on long enough! As guardian of this forest, it's my duty to protect it from pesky humans like them!~ He pointed one of his claws at the girls and then moved it to Kai. ~ And from hunters like him!~

          "Stop it Dragoon, you're messing up the plan!"

          ~I'm not following your plan, I'm going to do this my own way!~ He began to glow, summoning the winds to his aid. Everyone except for Rei didn't like the looks of things; something big was going to happen, something really big. 

          "Rei, what's going on?" Kai asked, though it was more of a command. 

          "Take cover!" Was all he said, as Dragoon was ready to unleash his attack.

          ~Take this you humans, my special erase phantom hurricane!~ Seemly out of nowhere, a mini tornado swept through the tranquil forest and charged at the group. 

          "Please tell me that isn't real Emily!" The orange-haired girl clutched her laptop to her chest.

          "I really hope it isn't!" Max took hold of Rei's arm.

          "What's going on?! What did he say?" Rei eyed the incoming twister and then pushed the younger boy into the lake without warning. The blonde coughed and shook his head when he poked his head out above the water. "Why did you do that?"

          "Don't worry Max, just go back to the other side, I'll meet you there." Max acted as if he didn't hear it.

          "Rei!"

          "Just go! Trust me on this one!" He waited until the blonde dove under before he called out to Dranzer. "Dranzer! Your flame saber should be able to take that thing head on!" The phoenix nodded.

          {You must have read my mind Rei-neko.} She flew past Kai and the others, facing the cyclone racing towards her. {Your gust is no match for my flame saber!} With a few strong flaps of her mighty wings, a javelin of fire erupted and hit the tempest with full force. Only it didn't vanquish the gale like she had expected, it only mixed with it. 

          ~Stupid bird…~ Knowing what was going to happen, Dragoon beckoned flurries to protect him. ~Now that pyro twister will really hurt.~ Dranzer turned to the fiery windstorm, sure enough, it looked as if it was going to blow any second. 

          {Oh no, master Kai!} The bluenette didn't understand her, but knew that a blazing typhoon wasn't good. Soon flames began to spiral off it, igniting the trees and brush. Dranzer called out again, unable to move closer without getting swept up in the winds. {Master Kai, please get away!} He didn't move. He couldn't. Rei heard Dranzer's calls however, but thinking that Kai already took off, he got ready to jump into the lake. 

          {No, master Kai…} She had to protect him, but how could she? Then she noticed Rei. {Rei! Rei-neko!} Her voice caught his pointed ears and he turned to her. 

          "Dranzer?"

          {Master Kai! Rei you must help him!} Rei glanced back and saw that Kai hadn't moved, neither have Mariah or Emily for that matter. 

          'What's wrong with them, why won't they run?' Then realization dawned on him. 'It must be part of Dragoon's attack. It doesn't affect me because I'm not fully human.' As quickly as he could Rei ran over to Kai and grabbed his wrist. "Kai we got to go!" The bluenette was still in his daze, caught in Dragoon's spell. "Kai! Come on!" The tornado was spitting out more flames, ready to burst at any moment. "KAI! UNLESS YOU WANT YOUR HAIR TO BE BLACK LIKE MINE I SUGGEST YOU MOVE!" With all his strength, the neko-jin yanked Kai from his spot and dragged him to the lake. 

          {Rei-neko hurry!} The raven-haired boy gasped as one of the stray flames nicked his shoulder, marring his flawless skin. He didn't stop though, and when he reached the lake he jumped in, bringing the bluenette with him. 

          'Huh…what?!' Hitting the water, Kai finally snapped from his stupor. Realizing he was underwater he tried to swim up, only to find that he was being held down. Looking over his shoulder he saw Rei next to him, keeping a firm grasp on his wrist. He tried to pull away again. 'What does he think he's doing?!' He got his answer when a huge shock wave hit the water, sending them both flying back to the other side of the lake. They surfaced and were met with Max's worried eyes. 

          "Are you two ok? I thought you were right behind me." Rei breathed heavily, a little surprised by the enormity of the explosion. 

          "I'm ok, and I would have been right behind you if a certain someone hadn't decided to become a statue." Kai swiped some of his bangs out of his eyes and glared at him. 

          "It's not my fault I was caught by that dragon's spell." Rei ignored him and looked up at the mountain.

          "Hm…you're welcome. We got to go back to see the damage. I think some of the trees caught fire." Max dove in and swam over to the entrance.

          "Let's hurry then!" He took a breath and disappeared under the water. Rei tucked the loose strands of hair behind his ear and nodded. 

          "Right." 

          "Hold on." Rei glanced at him.

          "What?"

          "Your shoulder." He turned to his right and noticed the deep, red gash across his shoulder, most definitely caused by the stray flame (2). Trickles of blood were flowing freely from it, marking the rest of his arm and dripping into the clear lake waters. 

          "It's nothing, besides we have to go with Max." Before Kai could argue with him, he had dove under too. He had no choice but to follow. On the other side, Dranzer was busy putting out the remaining fires, smothering them with a flap of her wing. Dragoon had brought a few drafts in to extinguish the major ones before they had spread. 

          "At least the damage wasn't too great. I thought an explosion like that would have taken out have the forest." Rei nodded with the blonde, surveying the area. He knew that it was the magic from the forest that really saved the landscape; he just hoped that no one from town had been around to see it. "Oh, what do we do about them?" Rei turned to the two girls, both unconscious. 

          "I don't know. I'm not sure what effects Dragoon's attack had on them." Speaking of the blue devil.

          ~It has wiped their memories of us and this place.~ The dragon landed next to Rei, his full height reaching the boy's shoulder. ~If only you hadn't pushed that one into the lake and protected him from my spell.~ He pointed to Kai who had surfaced a while ago and was now walking to them. 

          "What is that dragon saying about me?" Rei smirked, even though he couldn't understand him completely, he was surprised he had an inkling about what he had said. 

          "Nothing. He's just complaining that you escaped his spell." He sighed. "We have to get these two out of here before Robert wakes up. No doubt he heard that explosion and is heading here right now."

          "How am I supposed to carry both of them back by myself?" Rei crossed his arms and turned to him.

          "I don't know but you'll have to seeing as we can't go."

          "Can't that dragon help?" Rei glanced at the creature. 

          "He's already pretty irritated with you, I don't think a favor is the best thing to ask for."

          "Then you'll have to help."

          "I can't." 

          "Fine, then I'll just leave them here." He walked past him and headed back for town.

          "You can't just leave them Kai!"

          "What does it look like I'm doing?" Rei hissed and ran in front of him, blocking his path. "Move Rei." Rei shook his head and held his arm firmly.

          "You brought them here, you bring them back. The last thing we need are two girls wandering around in front of the entrance." Kai challenged him.

          "Make me." The raven-haired boy growled at him, releasing his claws and sinking them into Kai's skin. "Shit…what are you doing?!" Rei snickered. 

          "Making you, what does it look like I'm doing?" Kai grabbed the boy's hand, trying to remove it. Rei only put his other hand on top of his, piercing that one too. 

          "Damn it Rei what do you want me to do? I can't carry both of them back! Especially now that a have two injured arms!" On cue two teenagers came running towards them, shouting as they ran.

          "Kai! Rei! What happened?!" It was Tyson and Kenny; both had probably heard the explosion a few minutes ago. Rei smirked and looked at Kai with a triumphant expression on his face.

          "They can help you bring the girls back. Convenient, no?" Kai growled.

          "…No…" Tyson was the first to reach the two tangled teenagers. He took one look at the situation and laughed. 

          "Man Kai what did you do to tick Rei off this time?" Whether it was for his pride or for lack of a sufficient answer, Kai didn't respond.

          "Let go of me." He said each word clearly; making sure the tiger heard him. 

          "Only if you take those girls with you." Kai just stared at him; the younger boy's golden eyes returned the gaze just as defiantly. Thoughts were streaming through the bluenette's head. 

'He has to be stubborn, if he was like his friend Max I wouldn't have this problem.' Rei wasn't fairing any differently. 

'I don't get him. One minute he's willing to listen to me, and the next he's

ignoring every word that comes out of my mouth.' They stayed that way for a few seconds, each trying to understand the other, or at least make sense of their actions. 

'Then again, he wouldn't be the same if he was submissive. It's part of who he is, and it makes him…a lot more interesting.'

'I guess if he was an open book things would be easier, but then I wouldn't be able to discover things for myself. And where's the fun in that?' They seemed to reach an unsaid agreement in those seconds. No words were exchanged and Rei retracted his claws, pulling away from him completely. Kai didn't even look at his wounds, his ruby eyes still locked on the raven-haired neko. 

'What other surprises are you hiding Rei? What other interesting things have I yet to discover?'

'We'll see what I can learn about you Kai, and maybe have some fun in the process too.' Tyson was getting tired of their silent conversation and broke the serenity.

"Hello? Are you guys awake? I asked what went down here!" 

[REI!] 

"Huh?" Rei finally tore his gaze away from Kai's mahogany eyes and turned to the mountain. "Driger?"

[REI! Get back here quickly! Robert's on his way to the tree!] His words sunk in and the boy cursed. 

"Oh damn…" He sprinted off, grabbing Max's hand along the way. The bluenette called out to him before he dove into the lake.

"Rei where are you going? We're not done yet!" The raven-haired neko replied quickly.

"Robert is looking for us! He must have heard the explosion! Hurry, take the girls and go!"

"But-" He wouldn't take arguments, he cut Kai off before he could finish his sentence. 

"No, take them and go, now!" With that he jumped into the lake, followed shortly by Dragoon.

~Don't think this is over humans.~ He vanished with a gust, unaware that none of them understood what he had said. 

"Kai, what the heck is going on?!" Tyson couldn't take it any longer. "And you better answer me buddy, the power thing already ticked me off." Kai turned away from him, picked up Mariah and walked towards him. 

"Just get Emily and follow me." He whistled for Dranzer to come, they were leaving the forest. 'You have some things to tell me Rei, and I expect to hear them during our first lesson.' 

"What? Come on, I expected a little more than that."

"Tyson, let's just get back home first. I'm sure Kai'll explain it all to us there." Kenny said as he tried to balance Emily on his back.

"Ugh…fine. Here, let me help you Chief." Steadying her, Tyson held onto her shoulders incase the shorter boy lost his balance.

"Thanks." They didn't say much on the way back, knowing that any further questions would only worsen Kai's mood.

~*~*~*~

(1) I bet you guys know who that is so no explanation needed. All you need to know is that dragons protect different areas of the Umber Woods.

(2) I know that fire usually leaves a nasty burn/scorch mark, but this isn't your ordinary flame. That plus a strong wind can inflict a lot of damage (Think of a fire version of Folborg's stroblitz attack). 

SS-Well that was a _tad_ longer than usual (Over 8,000 words on my counter thingy!), it must have been because of the ice cream I was snacking on near the end. 

Tym-Ice cream?!?!?!?! =( Where's mine?!?!?!?!

SS-Sorry Tym, maybe next time. Besides, it's strawberry, you like chocolate.

Tym-I can change!

SS-Anyway I doubt I'll have another chapter out _before_ Halloween (Got a few projects to do) so I hope you enjoyed this super long one! And I hope you get a few scares this year minna-san! 

Tym-My ice cream…

SS-Oh…*hands Tym the carton of ice cream* there you go.

Tym- HOO – RAH!!!!!!!! ^_________^ R&R FOR THIS YUMMY YUMMY TREAT!

SS-Or just review to tell me how the chapter went. It's not one of my best, but I'll try to make up with the next, after all, it'll be Phoenix talking 101…better than any class at school (With a nice teacher too *wink* *wink*). And just when you think Rei and Kai are on good ground they go and fight again. When will they get along? (Don't worry, they will eventually…) Until next time!

              
            


	5. Returning home

SS-And the story keeps rolling along. ^^ Sorry, for the late-ness…the extreme late-ness. I had a lot of school related work to finish up. 

Tym-Yea right-*muffled by a cookie*

SS-Don't start. Thanks to everyone who reviewed! You dudes and dudettes are so nice! Now let's begin before I get sidetracked. 

Tym-Uh huh, that happens a lot.

SS- _;;

~*~*~*~

Loving Legends

Chapter 4 – Returning home

Disclaimer: Please see the prologue.

~*~*~*~

"Kai, what the heck is going on?!" Tyson couldn't take it any longer. "And you better answer me buddy, the power thing already ticked me off." Kai turned away from him, picked up Mariah and walked towards him. 

"Just get Emily and follow me." He whistled for Dranzer to come, they were leaving the forest. 'You have some things to tell me Rei, and I expect to hear them during our first lesson.' 

"What? Come on, I expected a little more than that."

"Tyson, let's just get back home first. I'm sure Kai'll explain it all to us there." Kenny said as he tried to balance Emily on his back.

"Ugh…fine. Here, let me help you Chief." Steadying her, Tyson held onto her shoulders incase the shorter boy lost his balance.

"Thanks." They didn't say much on the way back, knowing that any further questions would only worsen Kai's mood.

~*~

          It was now mid afternoon and the house was quiet. Kai, Tyson and Kenny had dropped off Mariah first, and then left Emily with the brunette. They prayed whatever spell Dragoon had placed on them had worked; otherwise they'd all be in for one heck of a morning. 

          Tyson didn't speak to Kai on the way back to their house or when they had entered. In fact, by the time Tyson had locked the front door, Kai was locking the door to his room, obviously not in a talkative mood. 

          "Sourpuss." He left for his own bedroom, exhausted and still slightly pissed at his 'friend' for shutting the power off earlier, and for not explaining anything. He fell onto his bed and sighed. 'Guess I'll have to figure things out for myself. Hm…maybe Kenny and I can go visit Max tomorrow. I bet he'll tell us what's going on.' With that settled, he picked up the phone and pushed the second speed-dial button, Kenny's number.

~*~

          The brunette had placed Emily on her own bed across the hall and shut the door. He didn't know how long she'd be out, but he figured it would be a while. Settling on his own bed he picked up his laptop and turned it on; anxious to analyze the two creatures he had met the other day. 

          *Ring Ring*

          "Huh?" He reached over and grabbed the phone from its stand and clicked the button. "Hello?" 

          "Hey Chief. Is Emily still asleep?" Recognizing the energetic voice as none other than his blue haired friend he smiled.

          "Of course. Whatever that dragon did to her is bound to keep her out for a few hours." The screen came on in a few seconds followed by a familiar female voice.

          "It's about time Chief, I've been in the dark about this new mission for hours."

          "Is that Dizzy? I was wondering when she'd pop up." Dizzy was a female spirit trapped in the boy's laptop. On one of Kai's first missions he had brought Kenny along so that he could map out the forest for him and section off areas that held specific creatures to make future jobs easier. 

They were asked to retrieve a Chishiki, a rare aether sprite that was said to reside in a more secluded part of the Umber Woods. To make a long story short, the area where they traveled was filled with nymphs and fairies, however, no Chishiki were found, or so they thought. It was one thing to find a Chishiki it was another thing to capture one. It would have taken too much time. Normally not the type to give up, Kai abandoned that mission for its bounty wasn't too great, nor was his respect for the man who offered him the deal. 

When Kenny had returned home that day he turned on his laptop and found that the Chishiki they were searching for had somehow gotten itself trapped. A naturally curious spirit, it couldn't help but approach the machine when the boy was in the neck of the woods earlier. Now she was stuck, but it wasn't as bad as she had though. Making quick friends with the brunette, Dizzy now helps him analyze and study the creatures he encounters from the Umber Woods.

          "Are you talking to Tyson, Kenny?" He nodded again and then placed the phone back on the stand. 

          "This is getting confusing, too many voices." He pushed one of the buttons on the stand to switch it to speaker. "That's better. Now what did you want to tell me Tyson?"

          "How did you know I wanted to ask you something?" Kenny began typing.

          "What else would you be calling for? So what are you thinking?"

          "Well, since Kai didn't tell us anything about what was going on, I figured we can go ask Max about it tomorrow." 

          "You mean…you want us to go back to the waterfall?" Dizzy had been recording information during their encounter with Max and Rei yesterday, but wasn't fully conscious about the event.

          "What's wrong with that Chief?"

          "Nothing, but well, I don't think we should go back."

          "Why not?" Kenny sighed and continued typing.

          "It seemed like Rei didn't really want us to come back."

          "Aw he's just being cautious. And besides, it wouldn't be a long visit. And you do want to gather more info right?" Dizzy cheered.

          "Yes! More information."

          "But Dizzy…"

          "And you didn't even introduce me Chief, my microchips are hurt." Before Kenny could defend himself Tyson continued the onslaught.

          "That's right! You didn't even let Dizzy get a good look at the place! Now we have to go back. How does twelve-ish sound?"

          "But-"

          "Sounds like a good idea Tyson, and I rarely say that to you." He let the comment slide.

          "You guys-"

          "Then it's settled! I'll meet you two at the entrance tomorrow!"

          "Tyson…" The line went dead before Kenny could stop him. "Oh man…" He pushed the button again, turning the phone off. "Now look what you've done." He said accusingly.

          "What did I do?" She replied sweetly. "And don't you want to learn more about Max and Rei?"

          "Of course I do. I just don't want to get them in trouble."

          "They're big boys Chief, don't worry." Grumbling, the brunette managed an 'ok' and pulled up a file on the screen.

          "Fine…now let's get back to this." 

          "Right. Do you want me to play back the meeting yesterday?" Kenny nodded.

          "Yea, we'll start with that and work our way back. Did you manage to get any data on what happened this morning?"

          "Sorry Chief. We got there too late. I only got bits and pieces…and a little on that dragon."

          "That's a start." He adjusted his glasses and sighed. "Let's start that clip now, we got a lot of work to do before Kai asks for the disc."

          "You got it." And that was how it went for the next hour or so. They reviewed clips they had recorded and analyzed the information collected from it. It was something they had always done whenever they went on a mission with Kai. He expected them to gather things about his creature(s) and give him a disc about them the next day or so. Kenny doubted he used most of it, but something in that floppy was useful to him (not to mention he was paid a good amount for it), and it gave Kenny a chance to learn more about the creatures in the Umber Woods, so he and Dizzy complied the data for him.

          Even though they didn't find Kai's creatures, maybe he'd be interested in the data about Rei and Max. It might come in handy later. The typing commenced and they began. 

~*~

          Back in Kai's room, the bluenette was currently at his desk, writing something on a small pad of paper. Dranzer watched him curiously.

          {Master Kai, what are you writing?} She knew he couldn't understand him and only heard chirps, but it wouldn't hurt to try. He looked over to her, trying to read her body language. {The paper, what are you writing?} She flapped her wings, hoping he would get the message. 

          "This?" He pointed to the paper. "I'm telling Rei that I'm coming over around 10 for those lessons he promised." Dranzer tilted her head.

          {Rei?} It was the clearest word she heard since it was a name she was use to hearing. {Something about Rei-neko?} Thinking it over she realized it must have had something to do with teaching master Kai how to speak to her. {Is it about the lessons Rei-neko promised? Oh, I wish he could repeat what he said.} Kai went back to writing, adding a few more things before setting his pen down. 

          "There, now to get it to him." Already having an idea in mind he ripped the sheet of paper off the pad, rolled it up and walked over to Dranzer. "Mind playing messenger Dranzer?" Again she tilted her head, not catching any of those words except for her name. He tied it to her right leg and held out his arm.

          {At least I know what that means.} She hopped onto his arm and waited as he walked out on the balcony. He looked into her bright eyes.

          "Ok Dranzer, you know the way, can you give this to Rei?" He said it slowly, hoping something would connect.

          {Rei? What about him?} The bluenette sighed and pointed to the barely noticeable waterfall deep in the Umber Woods. 

          "Rei. Can you fly this to Rei?" She looked down, showing her confusion.

          {What about Rei? Do you want me to give this to him?} Kai was getting frustrated; it was like he was training her all over again. Back when he captured her he had the hardest time getting her understand what he wanted her to do. Up to yesterday, he thought all that was over. 

          'Ok, calm down. It's just like before, I need to show her something that will make her understand what I want her to do.' He walked back into his room and scanned the area, his mahogany eyes lighting up slightly when he spotted the napkin full of berried Rei had given to him. He picked it up and whistled so that she would pay attention.

          "Remember these? Rei gave them to me. Now I need you, to give him, this note." He said the sentence slowly, pointing to the parcel, then to the waterfall, and lastly the note tied around her leg. Dranzer blinked as images of Rei giving him the berries flashed in her mind. 

flashback 

_He stroked the bird's red plumage with a small smile. "Glad to see you got your fire back."_

_          "I told you a day at home would do her good." He walked up to him and reached into his pocket. "But let's not go into that again. It's too early to argue." Rei pulled out a pouch and handed it to him. He accepted it reluctantly. "Some berries, just in case she feels a little weak." _

end flashback 

She chirped. {Master Kai why didn't you say that before?} She nipped his ear and flew off, finally understanding. Kai watched her leave, turning away when she had descended by the waterfall.

'There has got to be an easier way.' He walked back inside. 'All the more reason to start those lessons…hopefully they'll work.'

~*~

          "Please Rei?"

          "I don't think so Max."

          "P-L-E-A-S-E?!"

          "Max, it's not safe."

          "When has that ever stopped us from doing something?" 

          "Max…" Rei was arguing with the blonde angel about letting Tyson and Kenny come back to their side of the Umber Woods for visits. He didn't even mention Kai for fear of an instant 'no'. 

          "It won't be long…just an hour or so."

          "One hour? Robert will find them in one minute! He almost caught us today unless you've forgotten!" He walked over to the tree and then quickly jumped up to one of its branches. Max followed, flying up to him. "It's just not safe."

_ flashback _

_          "Hurry Max, Robert is probably already there!" Still holding the blonde's hand, Rei sprinted through the forest, desperately trying to reach the destination as quickly as his feet could carry him._

_          "Rei I can fly you know!"_

_          "Not as fast as I can run!" Even if that wasn't completely, true, Rei was pretty fast, especially when he pushed himself._

_          "What do you think will happen if he sees that we're not there?" He suddenly turned right, darting between trees._

_          "Well, Dragoon causing a twister will be the least of our worries that's for sure." _

_          [He's almost there!] _

_          'Damn it.' He picked up the pace, the tree finally within sight. "We're almost there Maxie…hurry up!"_

_          "What do you think I've been doing?" Driger was already there, staring at the incoming figure from above. He glanced over his shoulder and saw the two boys dashing in._

_          [Come on Rei!]_

_          "It's not like I'm strolling through the park Drig!" In a few seconds Rei managed to reach Driger, leaning against him for support. Max had flown up into the tree, taking refuge in the branches and hiding behind the leaves. "W-Where is he…Drig?" The tiger just tilted his head up and sure enough, Robert was there, descending slowly and landing a few feet from them. Rei tried to calm himself, doing whatever he could to hide his heavy breathing and weariness._

_          "Rei, what's wrong with you? You look flushed." The raven-haired boy shrugged his shoulders and looked down, causing his long tresses to fall and cover his face. "I thought you didn't like letting your hair down."_

_          "M-My wrap broke." _

_          "Um hm…and where's Max?" The blonde poked his head out from behind the leaves._

_          "Up here Robert! Hi!" _

_          "Playing hide and seek?" He shook his head and jumped out, using his wings to slow his fall._

_          "Nope. Just…lounging around." He eyed the blonde suspiciously, and then shifted his gaze from Rei to Max. _

_          "Well if you two have been 'lounging around', I assume you heard the little explosion earlier, right?" Rei nodded._

_          "Uh…yea. We heard something. It came from over there." He pointed to the waterfall._

_          "I know." Max leaned on Driger too._

_          "Then you better go over there and…and check things out. Just to make sure everything's ok."_

_          "I already sent Grypholyion, he'll take a look around." Robert kept his eyes on them. He knew they've been hiding a lot of things from him lately, and he wasn't about to let this one slide. _

_'All right, let's see, they were obviously at the explosion, but I doubt they caused it. They're careless, but not stupid. Grypholyion will tell me what creature did create the blast later. There were probably humans; I can't believe they were with humans. Or maybe they were there, and not seen. Hm…' Something else caught Robert's gaze, he couldn't believe he missed it before._

_"Rei, your shoulder." The raven-haired boy just remembered the cut and tried to pull his shirt over it. _

_"Oh that, it's nothing. A branch must have gotten me when I was in the tree."_

_"You have to remember to be careful Rei." He grinned._

_"I know, I know." Robert knew better, his neko was able to skim through the entire forest without getting so much as a scratch; the explosion must have been the cause of the injury. _

_'You can't keep this hidden from me forever.' Robert turned to leave. "You two should be extra vigilant if there are humans around, all right?" _

_"Yes Robert." Both chimed in response. He nodded and took off, returning to his cliff. The two let out a huge sigh and practically fell on Driger._

_[I'm not a pillow you two!] Rei ran a hand through his hair._

_"Give us a break, we just escaped another earthquake. Narrowly might I add."_

_"And it was a pretty small crack too."_

_[Lazy…if it were me I'd never let it cut so close.] Rei sat down._

_"In your day Drig? Wasn't that the Jurassic period or something?" Max laughed as Driger flexed his claws._

_[Don't push your luck Rei. By the way, where's that annoying dragon?] Rei looked around._

_"Hopefully he went back to the cave."_

_[God I hope so.] They laughed again as they relaxed under the tree's shade._

_ end flashback _

"What if he was away on one of his conference thingies? What about then?"

          "Conference thingies? First of all you know that's not right, second, even if he's gone Grypholyion will be here and he'll find them." 

          "Not if we slip him some of that sage root…you know that makes him sleepy."

          "Max we only use that for emergencies." He crossed his arms.

          "Well it's not like we're running out. I don't know why we don't use that stuff more often." Rei grabbed a wrap he had taken earlier and started on his hair.

          "We don't use it because it puts him to sleep for a long time and Robert gets suspicious."

          "But Rei-" 

          {Rei-neko!} Both boys looked over at the sound of the screech. Max landed on the branch next to Rei.

          "What was that Rei?" 

          {Rei-neko! I have something for you!} Rei stopped in mid-tie and stood up.

          "It's Dranzer."

          "Kai's phoenix? What's she doing here?" The red bird flew over to them and hovered in front of Rei, holding out her right leg.

          "Dranzer, what are you doing here?"

          {To give you this. It's from master Kai.} The raven-haired boy untied the piece of paper from Dranzer's leg and unfolded it, reading over the small writing quickly.

          _Rei, I've held up my end of the deal, now it's your turn. Meet me by the entrance of the waterfall around 10-tomorrow morning for the first lesson. We'll find an appropriate place from there. I'll bring Dranzer don't be late. –Kai_

          Rei folded up the note and stuffed it into his pocket. 'I can't believe I almost forgot about that. Well, he did warn us, and I promised Dranzer. I guess I'll have to go.'

          "Rei, you're meeting Kai tomorrow?" Rei cursed under his breath, he thought he had read it fast enough and put it away before Max had a chance to look at it. 

          "Well…"

          "You are such a hypocrite! First you tell me that Tyson and Kenny can't come over and now you're going off to meet Kai?" Rei turned around to face him.

          "You don't understand. This is strictly a business matter, it's not fun and games like you're thinking." Max glared at him.

          "Business? What kind of business would you have with him? You don't even like Kai."

          "I made a deal with him ok? And my end of the bargain is to teach him how to speak to Dranzer." 

          "A deal? What kind of deal? And you're going to what? You never even taught me how to speak to creatures of the Umber Woods." 

          "It's nothing you have to worry about Max." Rei glanced at Dranzer. "Tell him I said ok."

          {And just how do you expect me to do that? It took him a couple of minutes just to tell me to give this to you.}

          "Well, he'll probably ask generic questions. Just nod or shake your head. I think you can understand enough to be able to answer him that way. And if not, then just make sure he comes tomorrow, I'll be there."

          {All right. I hope these lessons work.} She dropped a little and then changed direction, heading back to the town. When Rei faced Max again he found that the younger boy hadn't changed his expression.

          "You're meeting him somewhere?"

          "Yes."

          "This is so unfair."

          "Actually, he's not coming into our side of the Umber Woods, so technically, I'm not being hypocritical." He jumped off the branch. "I'm meeting him at the entrance, so it's ok." Max landed beside him.

          "So if I meet Tyson and Kenny at the entrance…it's ok?" Rei didn't answer he just walked away, finishing his hair. Max huffed. "That's not fair Rei!"

          "Not all things in life are fair turtle dove." He disappeared into the brush, leaving behind an angry blonde.

~*~

          Kai sat on his bed, scribbling something in his notebook. It had been ten minutes or so since he had sent off Dranzer, but he wasn't too worried. It was the first time she had to do this, and first times usually took a little longer than the norm. Still he glanced out the door every now and then to check for her. 

          'I hope she made it ok. It seemed like she understood me.' He flipped the page. 'If she didn't…well, I guess I could give him the message myself, that way Dranzer will know for the next time. 

          {Master Kai.} A chirp coming from outside told him to put down his pen and notepad, his phoenix had returned. He got up and slid the door open a little more so that she could get in. He saw that there was no responding note as she landed on her perch, now what was he supposed to do?

          "Dranzer, what did he say?" She looked at him 

          {That didn't sound like a yes or no question.} Kai sighed.

          "Dranzer I don't understand you. Did Rei agree to the note?" Dranzer listened carefully, trying to distinguish one word from another. 

          {You asked if Rei said yes? I hope so.} She nodded. Kai wasn't sure if she was just nodding for the sake of it or if she was actually answering, so he rephrased the question. 

          "So Rei said that he would come tomorrow?" 

          {Why are you asking me again? I said yes already.} She nodded again. The bluenette ran a hand through his hair. 

          "Ok, ok…I guess you can understand me. That's good. He stroked her feathers in thanks and returned to his bed. Picking up the notepad and pen again he continued what he started. 'That wasn't too hard, but next time I'm sending her with a pen so that irritating tiger can write a response.'

~*~

          Night had claimed the day as the sun disappeared beyond the mountains. Rei was sitting next to his tree, leaning against its smooth bark. On the other side was Max; his delicate wings wrapped around him like a blanket. He was still peeved at Rei about their argument earlier and had planned to bring it up now while he was sleepy and possibly less vigilant. 

          "…Rei?" The neko-jin opened one eye.

          "Yea?" Max brought his knees up to his chest.

          "About what you said before…about meeting Kai outside the entrance…" Rei responded in a light tone, showing his weariness.

          "What about it?" The blonde smiled.

          "Since, well, since you are meeting him tomorrow, why can't I meet Tyson and Kenny later?" The tiger closed his eyes, letting out a sigh

          "It's too dangerous." Max groaned and turned his head to him, only seeing his raven hair.

          "But it's not fair Rei." He too turned to catch the boy's blue eyes.

          "Not all things in life are fair, Max. This meeting is different; I'm only going to hold up my end of the deal. It's not like I really want to see that frozen block of a human." The blonde sighed and crawled over to him.

          "Just one time? Please? I promise Robert won't find out." Rei shook his head. "He has to go to town tomorrow anyway, Tyson and Kenny can come to the entrance and I'll meet them for ten minutes or so." Max hooked the older boy's arm and tugged at him gently. "I'll go after you and Kai leave and will be back in the Umber Woods before you come back." Rei debated about it with himself. Would it do much harm to let him do this once? "Just one time…please?" The raven-haired boy glanced at him, a little caught off guard by the blonde's big puppy dog eyes. 

          'Oh man. I knew I shouldn't have taught him that.' He sighed and nodded, knowing that he'd never get any sleep if this kept up. "All right, but just this once." Max's face lit up as he hugged the older boy tightly. 

          "Thank you, thank you Rei! You are the best and if I ever said otherwise I was wrong!" It didn't seem like he wanted to let go, he was so happy. So Rei let him stay there, combing through his puffy yellow hair as the energetic youth began to calm down.          "You're welcome Maxie, but remember, it's just this once. And you have to be back here by the time I'm done ok?" No response. "Max?" For all the enthusiasm he had shown earlier, the little angel was already fast asleep, leaning his head against Rei's shoulder and covering himself with his petite wings. "Good night Max." With one last look at the star-filled sky, the neko-jin closed his eyes again and relaxed, content and ready for a long rest.

~*~

          {Master Kai! Master Kai you must wake up now!} Dranzer jumped off her perch and onto the bluenette's bed, the sun's rays dancing across her feathers. Kai had told her to wake him up a little later that morning since Rei wasn't an early bird. He didn't want to waste the time, so he figured that just this once, he could sleep in. Doing so every now and then was good for the body. However, now that he had been allowed this break, he didn't want to get up. This odd behavior was something that Dranzer deemed, "un-master Kai-like". 

          {Please master Kai; you don't want to be late do you?} She hopped up to the head of the bed, spying a tuft of sky blue hair sticking out from under the covers. {You are acting like young Tyson more and more everyday.} She nipped the locks and pulled at it a few times. {Do you want to keep Rei-neko waiting?} Unfortunately for her, Kai just waved her away and turned around. Even when he was asleep he was drop dead stubborn. {Oh…} Thinking of a more efficient way, she dug under the blankets and pecked at his back. {Master Kai!} With a sigh she backed up, turning to her last resort. {Please forgive me…} She opened her beak, and flames began to appear.

Kai's POV 

          The sun was really annoying, won't there be a day when it'll not shine so brightly? I turned to my other side. Great, now even my back is getting hot. Are my covers that thin? No…wait…that's not the sun, it's…

          "DRANZER!" 

3rd person POV 

          Kai practically jumped out of his bed, patting his back as the last of the flames disappeared, leaving a dark mark on his t-shirt. He glared and stalked back to his bed. Ripping away the blankets with the matching scorch marks he found the source, his 'innocent' phoenix. 

          "Dranzer…what did you think you were doing?" His tone was deadly calm, which was the worst for someone like him. She tilted her head to the side.

          {What is it master Kai? I was only trying to wake you.} He grabbed her a little rougher than he should have and went out to the balcony. {Master Kai?} The bluenette paid no heed to her chirps and tossed her off into the air. She fluttered aimlessly for a few seconds before regaining her noble hover. {Some thanks…}

          "I know you can understand me Dranz, tell Rei I'll meet him at the entrance in a few minutes." With that he walked back inside, closing the door behind him with a bang. She screeched indignantly and flew off. 

          {Hmph…humans…}

~*~

          "Rei, Robert just left, hurry and meet Kai already!" Ever since the sun rose Max had been pushing Rei along, obviously excited about seeing his friends again. 

          "Max did you have two cups of sugar this morning? What's the rush? It's nowhere near 10 yet! And I definitely don't want to see Mr. Congeniality sooner than I have to." Max continued pushing him, mulling over whether or not he should just fly them over.

          "Oh, don't give me that! I'm sure Kai'll love to see you! And if you get there sooner, you two can become friends faster! Doesn't that sound…dandy?" Rei had stuck his claws into the side of a tree, bits of annoyance surfacing in his eyes.

          "Don't push it Max." The blonde let go of him and laughed nervously.

          "Ok, ok. I guess you two can get to know each other later." He glanced at the sun again; it was getting higher. "Still, you don't want to be late." Rei released his hold on the bark and dusted off his outfit, leaves and whatnot having attached to it while being pushed through the forest.

          "I won't be. Besides, it's not like he can come in here and get me if I'm late anyway." A screech signaled someone's arrival. The two looked up to meet Dranzer, the phoenix a little ruffled by something. "Dranzer, did you wake up on the wrong side of the perch this morning?" She nipped at his hair ungratefully and hovered above them.

          {It wasn't me it was Master Kai. Apparently he either wants to get up early or sleep in until lunchtime. The boy simply can't be wakened in the middle.}

          "Does that mean he'll be late?" 

          {Of course not. He's coming and is expecting you in a few minutes to determine the location of the lesson.} He sighed.

          "I knew it couldn't be that easy. And now he's pissed. Great, just great." She chirped and flew higher.

          {Hurry Rei-neko. I will meet you on the other side.} She disappeared, leaving Rei and Max back in the clearing.

          "What did she say Rei?" He asked.

          "She says that Kai's coming and that I shouldn't be late." He dropped his shoulders. "Guess I better go." Before Max could cheer, the raven-haired boy turned to him and spoke in a serious tone. "Now remember, don't stay out too long and you had better be back before I get here." He nodded slowly, having heard many lectures similar to this one.

          "I know, I know…" 

          "And if Robert comes back early, cover for me ok?" Another nod.

          "Yea." Rei turned and headed for the lake.

          "Then have fun, but don't get in over your head." The blonde smiled and waved him off.

          "I won't, and you have fun too!" He added a hint of sarcasm in the last half.

          "Hn…right." He jumped into the lake, ready or not to meet the mysterious boy again.

~*~

          Kai stood by the lake's edge, leaning against the mountainside. He had been there for a few minutes, waiting for Rei's arrival. A screech told him that Dranzer had returned, but where was the neko-jin? 

          {Master Kai you aren't late!} He didn't respond so she hovered near him, her head tilted. {Don't tell me you're asleep…} Splashes caught her attention, so she turned to see a raven spot coming from the water. {Rei-neko!} Said boy popped his head out of the lake, shaking the excess water from his hair. He made his way to the edge and got out, ringing his clothes. 

          "Dranzer, where's K-oh…" Noticing the bluenette from the corner of his eye, Rei walked over to him. "Ok, let's get this over with." He waited for a response, but none came. "Kai?" He waved his hand in front of the older boy's face. "You awake?" A small gasp escaped his throat as Kai caught his wrist, effectively stopping the action. "Guess you are awake…" Slits of crimson appeared behind closed eyes as he took notice to the neko. 

          "I told you not to be late." He held onto the boy's wrist and started walking into the forest.

          "I'm not that late, besides, Dranzer told me she practically had to peck your eyes out before you woke today. And let go of me! I _can_ walk you know!"

          "Yea but not fast enough. We've already wasted enough time." Rei looked around, he had been here a few times, but he never went any deeper. Does Kai know about a cave or something that they could use?

          "Kai, I don't want to be rude, but since you're already being impolite by dragging me, where are we going and are we going to get there soon?" The bluenette didn't even glance at him.

          "It's a cave in the mountain, and we're almost there." Rei sighed and jogged a little, Kai was picking up speed so he had to as well.

~*~

          Tyson knocked on the door, looking up to the window every now and then. 'Where are you?' He was about to knock again but someone answered it. "Kenny! Finally. Come on, let's go!"

          "Go? Go where?"

          "Go meet up with Max remember?" The brunette checked the clock on the wall.

          "But it's only five after ten. I thought we were meeting Max around twelve." Tyson smiled.

          "That was the plan, but Kai just left so if we go now, we probably won't run into him."

          "Tyson if we go into the Umber Woods and he's already in the Umber Woods, don't you think we'll run into each other?" The bluenette shook his head.

          "Nope. He told me he was going to meet Tala." He pulled the boy's hand, forcing him to come out. "So by the time we get back, he'll still be out." Kenny sighed and locked the door.       

          "But why? Does Kai not want you to go back?"

          "Well, to quote him exactly… "Tyson, if you go back there you won't live to see another mythical creature." Yup, that sounds right." They started walking towards the entrance to the forest.

          "Strange, he didn't seem to mind when we went with him before." Tyson threw his hands up in the air.

          "Eh…you know Kai. One minute he says it's potato the next day it's patato."

          "Not to sure about the analogy, but I guess you're right."

~*~*~*~

          Rei starred into the cave and swore; he couldn't believe it. It was in the exact same place where Robert's cave was on the other side of the mountain. 

          'I wonder if there's a tunnel that connects the two. If there is, I'm screwed.' Granted, Robert wasn't there, but Grypholyion was. He always stayed in the cave unless he was on his rounds, and he had just finished when Robert took his leave. Or what if this was a secret entrance that Robert used to get in and out when he didn't want him or Max to know? He turned back to Kai; he had just reached the top. Scaling the mountain was easy for Rei, and Kai didn't seem to think it was a hard task either, but he was quite slow at it.

          "Hey Kai?" The bluenette dusted himself off.

          "What?"

          "A-Are you sure this is a good place to do the lessons?" He starred at him.

          "Of course, it's sheltered by the tall trees, the opening is small and hardly anyone knows about it. It's perfect, unless you're afraid of the dark or are claustrophobic."

          "No, I'm not afraid of the dark or of small spaces, I just don't know if it's the best place to do this."

          "Why not?" Rei bit his lip. Should he tell him Robert's cliff was practically next-door? Would it make a difference? His mind and heart went at it again.

          'Of course it would make a difference!!! Robert doesn't even want you or Max to go there unless you were in a life-or-death situation! What would he say if he knew that you let a human, no less a bounty hunter know about it?!'

          'It's not like I'm going to tell Robert about it. I won't even tell Max that Kai and I chose to meet here.'

          'This is stupid! Just make up an excuse and go somewhere else. There are a bunch of caves lined across the mountainside.'

          'What excuse? Kai's pretty quick on things; he probably already knows I'm thinking of an excuse since I've been silent for so long.' 

          'Fine get yourself and Max endangered. Next he'll ask you to meet him at the main square in town!' Finally brought out of his thoughts by Kai's hand on his arm, Rei snapped his head up.

          "Huh? What?"

          "You can stop thinking of excuses. I already know you're trying to get out of this." He blinked.

          "N-No I'm not." He narrowed his gaze.

          "Rei it's no use lying to me, you've been biting your lip from thinking so hard it's bleeding." The raven-haired neko brought his hand up and touched his bottom lip; Kai was right, it was bleeding. He pressed his lips together and turned away. "If you didn't want to teach me you shouldn't have made that deal-" Rei pivoted to meet his ruby eyes.

          "No! That isn't it. I do want to teach you, er…I mean, I'm ok with that." Kai crossed his arms.

          "Then what is it? You said you aren't afraid."

          "I'm not…it's just…"

          "Just what? What is it about this place that freaks you out?" Rei glanced back into the dark of the cave, wondering if it even went deep enough to meet Robert's cave. Maybe they were miles apart. He didn't know for sure, he was just being overly cautious. The neko-jin faced Kai again; he had to make a decision now.

          "Uh…" The bluenette growled and tried to keep his voice neutral. It was obvious he was tired of this though.

          "Look, if you _really_ are scared of this place then we can go somewhere else, just make up your mind." That did it.

          "I am **_not_** afraid of this cave." Rei sat down and slammed his hand down on the ground next to him. "Now shut up and sit! Let's get this over with!" Kai smirked; he knew that if he pushed the right buttons, Rei would take action. He whistled for Dranzer and sat next to him, eager to get started. 

~*~

          "How do we even know if Max will come? You didn't tell him."

          "I know I didn't, but I just have a feeling he'll be there." Kenny brought up the map of the Umber Woods onto the desktop again. He was marking their path. Without Kai, they only had this map to go by."

          "Don't worry Chief, if we go off track I'll tell you."

          "Ok Dizzy, I'm just making sure."

          "See Kenny everything's fine, now we just have to get to the entrance and wait for Max." He pushed back the brush and kept walking, they were getting close, and the sound of the waterfall was getting louder with each step. 

          "Hey guys!" Tyson and Kenny looked up and smiled, it was Max. Tyson waved his hands up in the air.

          "Hey Max! Over here!" The blonde was flying in the canopy, searching for them. He landed a few feet away from them and walked over. "Hey buddy, glad you came."

          "Same here. I didn't know you guys were coming though."

          "Then how did you know to come?" He shrugged his shoulders.

          "I don't know I just had a feeling. Oh well, now that you're here, come on, let's go! I know this little clearing that we can go to." He turned and began walking off to the left. The two followed him.

          "We're not going to your side of the woods?"

          "No, it's too dangerous. We might get caught. Besides, Rei was already wary of letting me meet up with you." Kenny nodded.

          "Yea, I had a feeling he would. Oh, by the way, where is Rei?" Max glanced back.

          "Don't you know? He left a little while ago to meet Kai." Tyson and Kenny stopped.

          "He did?" The blonde turned around.

          "Uh huh. Didn't Kai tell you?" They looked at each other and then back to Max.

          "No, he told me that he was meeting Tala." Max scratched his cheek.

          "I wonder why he would say that. Wait, whose Tala?"

          "Tala is one of Kai's clients."

          "Oh that's right, Kai's a bounty hunter isn't he?" Tyson nodded. "What was he supposed to get for Tala?" They continued walking.

          "Two really rare creatures…(1) hey, maybe you can help him find them!" Max pointed to his chest.

          "Me?"

          "Yea! That way he'll stop coming and we can hang out more!" 

          "I don't know Tyson. I mean, I'm ok with Kai being a bounty hunter, but remember that I'm a creature of the Umber Woods too; if I helped him it'd be like you selling out Kenny to someone. Sorry." Tyson waved it off.

          "Nah it's ok, I understand." Kenny nodded.

          "Besides, I don't think Kai would accept help if it came up and bit him." He starred at his map again. "This place looks familiar, where are we?"

          "Oh we're at the entrance of this really cool valley. Rei and I accidentally found it a while ago, it's a whole area full of-" Kenny looked up and gasped.

          "It's the fairy region!" On cue a nymph and a fairy flew past him, almost knocking the poor boy over. Hearing Kenny's cry and recognizing the sight recorded by the camera, Dizzy was overjoyed.

          "Mommy I'm home!"

~*~*~*~

(1) I don't think I made it clear before, but Tyson and Kenny aren't aware that Rei and Max are the two creatures that Kai was looking for.

SS-There we go. Sorry again that it's very late and for any grammar/spelling errors. ^^;; I'll try and get back on track with this.

Tym-Yea, don't want it to turn into SSM.

SS-Exactly. And did anyone see the episodes today? If you didn't…don't translate the code thingy: A=1 B=2 C=3 etc. … I can't believe 18-5-9/12-15-19-20/4-18-9-7-5-18!!! =( Wah!!!

Tym-…please stop that.

SS-*sniff* Ok…until next time people…

Tym-Bye bye. 


	6. A not so warm welcome

SS-Lalala…here I go again. On with the story right?

Tym-Yup. Keep going before you leave a big gap like you did with SSM-

SS-Please don't start. You bring it up every time and everyone's getting sick of it, not to mention it's not helping my fever.

Tym-*grumbles* Fine…

SS-But the reviews help! Thanks for your comments and stuff; it makes both of us feel better!

Tym-Cookies make me feel better…*hint hint* ^_^

~*~*~*~

Loving Legends

Chapter 5 – A not so warm welcome

Disclaimer: See prologue please ^^

~*~*~*~

          "Look, if you _really_ are scared of this place then we can go somewhere else, just make up your mind." That did it.

          "I am **_not_** afraid of this cave." Rei sat down and slammed his hand down on the ground next to him. "Now shut up and sit! Let's get this over with!" Kai smirked; he knew that if he pushed the right buttons, Rei would take action. He whistled for Dranzer and sat next to him, eager to get started. 

          Rei took a deep breath and calmed himself down, no sense in starting another argument with Kai seeing as he would be with him for a while. "Ok, now…I don't really remember exactly what happened the first time I spoke to a mythical creature, it just…happened."

          "Like that helps." Rei glared at him.

          "I'm doing you the favor remember?"

          "Actually this is your part of our de-" 

          "Anyway…I suppose teaching someone how to speak to animals is just like teaching someone another language, so let's start with the basics." He told motioned Dranzer to sit by Kai while he stayed on opposite of them. "All right, since she already knows names, we'll try direction. Without using your whistles and hand motions, tell her to sit by me." Kai glanced at Dranzer and then back to Rei.

          "That's it? Aren't you supposed to tell me how?"

          "What's there to know? You just tell her to sit by me."

          "I don't have your ability to speak to animals, otherwise I wouldn't be here." Rei sighed.

          "Just…just do it ok? I need to see how she responds to you before I can do anything." 

          "Hmph. Some teacher." He looked at the firebird again. She stared back into his crimson eyes, waiting for orders. "All right. Dranzer, go sit by-"

          "Wait."

          "What?"

          "You used your head." He raised an eyebrow.

          "I what?" Rei pointed at him.

          "You nodded your head to me when you told Dranzer what to do."     

          "And?"

          "And don't. You're giving it away." Kai huffed.

          "No I'm not!" Rei shook his head and crossed his arms.

          "Just do it again without moving." 

          {Rei, what are you and Master Kai arguing about?}

          "We're not arguing…" Kai looked over. 

          "Then what do you call it? Loud disagreement?" The raven-haired boy motioned to Dranzer.

          "I wasn't talking to you. I was answering Dranzer. Now tell go and try to tell her again."

          "…Dranzer." He waited until the phoenix had caught his gaze before continuing. "Go sit by Rei." She tilted her head and gave a low chirp. "Sit by Rei." She turned to Rei.

          {What is he saying? Why won't he give me any signals?}

          "Uh…Kai, say it slower. And you can motion a little." 

          'Now you tell me…' He tried again. "Dranzer, go and sit by Rei." He nodded towards the younger boy on the other side, hoping that she caught his action. Still, it didn't seem like enough.

          {Rei…why isn't it working?} He sighed in frustration. 

          "I don't know! Kai…forget it. If you saw me for the first time and you wanted Dranzer to go see what I was, what would you do? How would you tell her?" 

          "Simple, a whistle." He whistled to her. "Dranzer." She turned to him as he gave two low whistles and pointed to Rei. She chirped and hopped over to him, taking a seat on the half-breed's knee. 

          {Why didn't he do that in the first place, young Rei?} The raven-haired boy sighed as Kai smirked.

          "That was easy." Rei brushed Dranzer off and stood up. 

          "I…I don't get it Kai. If you already have a system of communicating with Dranzer, then what difference would it make if you knew how to speak to her?" The bluenette didn't raise his voice or himself for that matter.

          "There are some rough spots between us. I still can't understand every chirp she says or every motion she does. Don't you realize how easy it'd be for us to work if I could use words instead of actions?" Rei crossed his arms and walked towards the entrance.

          "No I don't know. I don't even know what you do for work." Kai stiffened slightly. That's right, he never actually told Rei that he was a bounty hunter. When he tried to catch him with the rope, his cloak covered his face. And Rei probably assumed that he just saw him at the festival and got curious. As if reading his mind, Rei glanced over his shoulder and asked in an inquisitive tone:

          "What do you do Kai? Why do you need to be able to talk to Dranzer directly?" Kai stayed where he was while his faithful phoenix pecked his arm lightly. 

          {Master Kai? What is the matter?}

          'I can't tell him who I really am. That'll ruin everything. I just need to redirect the conversation. Or just give him a simple answer.' Rei swished his tail impatiently.

          "Kai?" The older boy looked up. "Kai, what do you do for work?" He shifted slightly and mumbled a response.

          "I…find things." Unfortunately for him, Rei's cat ears picked up his answer.

          "You find things? Like what? For who?" Kai swore and tried to get back to the lesson.

          "It's none of your business. Now are we going to do this or not?" Rei walked back slowly.

          "What kind of things do you find? A-Are you a bounty hunter or something?" The bluenette tried to stay neutral. He knew that if he gave any indication that Rei was right he would pick it up.

          "Of course not." He locked his gaze with Rei's curious one. "Are you going to teach me or are you just going to stand there all day?" The younger boy broke the gaze and looked around, contemplating what he had just said. 

          'Why won't he answer me? I know he's always been stubborn…but it was a simple question. He…finds things? Like what? Well, it would explain why he wants to be able to speak to Dranzer directly. It'd make finding…whatever he finds a lot quicker.' With his peripheral vision he could see that Kai's red eyes were still starring at him. 'I did promise…'

          {Rei-neko?} He shifted his gaze to Dranzer, who had hopped over to him. {Why aren't you doing anything? What are you waiting for?} 

          'I never break my promises…and he is keeping his promise of not hurting Max. If I don't hold up my end of the bargain he'll break his. And what's the harm in teaching him anyway?'

          "Are you part statue too? Can we get on with this already?" Rei growled lightly. The least he could do is be a little patient. 

          'Heh…and I'll sprout wings…' Turning around he motioned Kai to stand up. He did so…reluctantly. "I know you probably won't answer…but it would put part of my mind at ease if you did. What or who do you find?" Kai gazed intently into his bright, golden eyes. He was very persistent, he had to give him that much. And maybe if he told him something, he would shut up. Grudgingly, he closed his eyes and whispered:

          "I…find animals." It wasn't a lie, but in turn, it wasn't the whole truth. Rei echoed him.

          "You find animals?" Walking over to Dranzer and looking down at her questioningly he continued his questioning. "Like Dranzer?"

          "Yes and no. I find animals…for other people. Dranzer isn't for anyone. She's my partner." Rei nodded and was about to proceed with the lesson until a thought occurred to him. His eyes slitted as his ears went up.

          "Wait a minute…if you find animals like Dranzer, that means you're a…" He drew out his claws and prepared to assault him. "You're a bounty hunter…"

~*~

          "I'm home, home, home! Oh it's good to be back!" Kenny gawped at the screen. 

          "Dizzi you recognize this place?"

          "Of course I do Chief! I'd know this place even if I was blinded and trapped in a…well, I'd know this place anywhere!" Max smiled and led them into the valley. 

          "That's awesome Dizzi! I didn't know that you used to live here. If only you weren't trapped in that machine thingy then you could be our tour guide." Tyson patted the blonde's shoulder.

          "It's a laptop Max, and that's ok. It's better to explore on your own. You find more stuff that way." The same fairy that almost knocked him over when he first came here circled around him again. He swore he could here her 'tsk' as she went. He tried to swat her away.

          "What is with this fairy?" Kenny sighed.

          "Well you always said the ladies loved you." Max laughed as the little sprite finally took her leave, in a hurry too. 

          "I never thought I'd be a hit here. Anyway let's keep going. Hopefully without running more fairies like her." 

          "Trust me Tyson, if you want to go further into my home without running into female fairies you better leave. Most of the fairies here aren't male." 

          "I don't mind girl pixies and elves, just none that are like that one." The blonde stepped ahead of Tyson and spread his wings. 

          "Don't worry, I'll protect you! And I have been here more than you guys….uh…except you Dizzi." The trapped sprite took the acknowledgment.

          "Thank you." 

          "You can lead the way Max," He gently took hold of the ends of Max's wings and pushed them back together so that they were close to his back again. "But I don't need saving." With a few more steps he shivered. "I know we're deep in the forest, but isn't it a little chilly in here?" Max could feel it too since his shoes were very thin. 

          "Yea…the ground does feel unusually cold. I guess I never noticed it before because I was flying last time." Kenny opened his laptop and pivoted the camera so that Dizzi could get the picture. 

          "Do you know why it's cold Dizzi? I was wondering about that when I first came here and found you…but I never really thought about it."

          "The ground around my home has always been cold. That's why the flowers don't grow as well as they should." Max bent down and cupped one of the roses.

          "They shouldn't be growing at all if the ground has a layer of permafrost below it." Tyson raised his eyebrow.

          "Permafrost?" He nodded.

          "Permafrost is subsoil that is permanently frozen." Max let go of the flower and dug up some of the earth. When he got about one foot down there was a thin sheet of ice blocking his way. "Robert told me about it when he pointed out the snow topped mountains. He told me that permafrost is usually found in tundra areas, but because of a war between the animals of the Umber Woods a long time ago, ice animals froze the ground as a way to claim it as theirs." After he had filled the hole he got up and patted the soil off his hands. "I guess after the war, those ice animals forgot to remove the ice." Dizzi congratulated him.

          "I'm surprised you knew so much about the history of my home Max." The blonde laughed.

          "I was just curious."

          "Curiosity is good if you're not a cat. But you're right. There is a thick layer of permafrost under my valley that prevents the plants from growing to their fullest potential." Kenny nodded.

          "But then how do the flowers grow? I mean…this whole valley is covered in plants and shrubs."

          "That's where a bit of fairy magic comes in. All you need is a bit of luck, and a bit of pixie dust." Tyson crossed his arms with a laugh.

          "Now you're quoting from Peter Pan Dizzi."

          "Same difference. We just use our magic to sustain the flowers and give them a little magical resistance from the cold." 

          "Then why don't you just use your pixie dust to get rid of the ice? Or you could bring in some fire animals to burn it up for you."

          "Number one Tyson, of course we've tried to get rid of the ice, but we simply don't have enough magic. Number two; most fire animals live on the other side of the waterfall and they don't bother to help us anyway." 

          "Ok, then you could always move."

          "It's our home Tyson. We can't leave our home. Plus most of the other areas have been taken already so we wouldn't have anywhere to go." Max walked over to the laptop.

          "Well that's no good. All this time your home is has been sitting on a block of ice?"

          "Pretty much. That's one reason why it's good to be in this laptop. Though I do miss my family and friends." All three of them nodded. 

          "Your friends and family are here Dizzaria!" The trio turned to see what looked like an army of fairies coming towards them. 

          "What the heck?!"

          "Whoa…I've never seen so many fairies at once." Tyson pulled Max back.

          "This is no time to gawp at them Maxie." He tried to calm him down.

          "Don't worry Tyson, fairies and sprites are among the gentlest of creatures in the Umber Woods." He quickly freed himself from the boy's hold and walked up to the apparent leader and gave her a warm greeting. 

          "Hi there! My name's Max, who are you?" The leader flew forward and stopped a few feet from his face. 

          "My name? Look here human; I am the queen of my people! You may call me Lady Eleanor." Max blushed and rubbed his arm nervously.

          "Oh, my apologies. Hello Lady Eleanor. You said that you were friends with Dizzi?" She flew around the entire group and responded.

          "Yes! Dizzaria where are you?! We've been looking for you for months!"

          "Elle? Elle, oh it's good to see you!" The queen stopped and looked around frantically.

          "De? De I hear you but I can't see you! Where are these humans hiding you?!"

          "Elle calm down. I'm right here!" 

          "Right where?"

          "I'm in the laptop." The queen flew over to the laptop and stared into the camera lens.

          "You mean this contraption?"

          "Yes! Oh Elle it's so good to see you again!" 

          "It's good to see you too De! My goodness gracious what have these humans done to you?! Stuck in this metal machine! Don't worry, I will have you out in one second!" With an explosion of sparkle a full-grown girl stood where the queen once fluttered. She had long green hair neatly tied into a lose ponytail that flowed over her right shoulder and emerald eyes to match. Her gown was pale lavender with sleeves that split into strands at her shoulders and had a silver string tied around the waist as a belt. She held a thin silver wand and her set of wings sparkled behind her. Finally a small golden tiara rested on her head, it held one diamond at the top and two smaller ones at the base.

          "This won't hurt a bit De." With a wave of her wand and another explosion of sparkle the laptop Kenny was holding suddenly sparked, causing him to drop it.

          "Oh no!" He bent down to pick it up and saw the bottom of a blue dress. "What?" As he stood, with his laptop tucked safely under his arm he realized that this new fairy, this one with shoulder length, snowy-white blonde hair, a blue dress with long sleeves that opened at her elbow, cool cerulean eyes, and a pair of transparent wings, was his friend Dizzi. "D-Dizzi?" She whirled around to look at Kenny and smiled.

          "Chief! Look at me! I'm…I'm me again!" With a smile as her only warning she pulled Kenny into a hug. "I thought I'd be stuck in there forever! Oh I'm so glad I can finally see without that camera and be seen!"

          "De! What in the world?" Dizzi let go of Kenny and faced the queen again.

          "Elle! I've missed you!" She hugged her too, and though the queen was happy to see her, she gently pushed her back.

          "De, what did you just do?!" Dizzi laughed.

          "I just hugged you."

          "No, I mean him!" She pointed her wand at Kenny, who jumped back in fear of getting hit by magic. "You hugged the human! In fact it looked like you liked him!"

          "Elle! I don't like him like that! Kenny is one of my friends," She stood by the boys and pointed them out as she named them. "So are Tyson and Max." 

          "I-I can't believe it, they've brainwashed you De!" Flying over she grabbed hold of Dizzi's wrist and pulled her back. 

          "Brainwashed? I don't know what you're talking about. They're my friends Elle. Just like you are." Elle waved her wand and her head in firm disapproval.       

          "No De, I am not like them. They're…they're humans!" Max raised his hand and spread his wings.

          "Actually Lady Eleanor, I'm only half human." Elle studied him and then waved him off.

          "Oh that's right, you're one of Robert's little half breeds. Well, I supposed you aren't as bad, but those two humans shouldn't even be here!" Dizzi pushed her wand away.

          "Elle, I can't believe you're being so narrow-minded. Humans aren't bad. Ok, I admit that sometimes they can be naïve, but you have to admit that you've had your days too." The queen shook her head.

          "Humans are nothing but trouble. And we should be going before they try to hurt us." She pulled Dizzi with her, but she got out of her grasp. "Dizzaria."

          "Elle listen to me, Kenny is one of my best friends. He has been there for me ever since I got stuck in that laptop and I'm not going to leave him just because you freed me." The queen looked shocked. "I am very grateful, don't get me wrong Elle. And I'm glad to be home, but I still want to visit Kenny. I can't just cut him out of my life now that I'm the way I was before." Tyson nodded.

          "Yea! Dizzi should be able to come and go as she pleases! You don't own her…uh…Lady Eleanor." Elle looked ready to kill.

          "I will not tolerate that tone of voice human! Now Dizzaria, let's go before I lose my temper."

          "You've always had a short temper Elle, and I'm not leaving until you realize that humans aren't that bad."

          "What you are asking Dizzaria, is out of the question. You know that you are one of my dearest friends, but when you start defending humans and telling me that I am just like them, I just won't stand for it. Guards!" Soon more of the small fairies transformed into their larger forms, armed with shields and wands. They rushed to Dizzi and took her forcefully back to the queen's side. Kenny ran after her.

          "Dizzi!" 

          "Kenny stop, I don't want you to get turned into a frog or anything!" 

          "A wha?" Shots of magic were soon flying towards him. "Ah!" Max spread his wings and took a running start before taking flight. 

          "Don't worry, I got you Chief!" He lifted him into the air and back to where Tyson was before any strings of dust hit him. Kenny sighed.

          "Thanks Max." He smiled.

          "No problem." Once he put the brunette down, Max flew over to the queen. "Lady Eleanor, with all due respect, don't you think you're being a bit harsh? I mean Kenny and Dizzi have been friends for a long time. Since, well, a long time before I met them. Don't you think we can reason this out?" She shook her head.

          "I'm afraid not young half breed. Humans will not be tolerated in my kingdom." With a wave of her wand, more fairies transformed and began attacking Tyson and Kenny. Max glanced back.

          "No!" 

          "And you'll do well to not interfere in our business either…Max." With that she turned and left. Max wanted to pursue her, but had to save Tyson and Kenny. So he turned around, flew straight through the guards and grabbed each by the wrist. The guards soon stopped their pursuit when they saw that they were leaving and returned to the queen's side. 

          "Dizzi…" She was still struggling against the guards, trying to escape with her own magic but failing terribly. "No…" Max sighed at his friend's sorrow and flew in the opposite direction, away from the fairy valley. 

          "Don't worry Chief, if anyone can make things right again, it's Rei." Tyson nodded.

          "Yes, we'll get Dizzi back! I'm sure Kai'll help too." Kenny starred quizzically at him. "Ok…so maybe Kai won't, but Rei will! And with all the connections he's got I'm sure we'll get her back!" 

          "Really?" 

          "Of course!" Kenny sighed and nodded.

          "Ok." Max smiled and continued skimming through the forest, searching for a cave that Rei might have used as a training area. 

          'I wonder where he could have gone…'

~*~

          "Argh…let me up!" Rei struggled, trying to get his claws lose or at least his tail so that he could smack Kai.

          "Not when you're out to kill me! You think I'm that stupid?!" Rei smirked.

          "Well…" The bluenette momentarily let go of the boy's right arm to hit him lightly on the head before regaining his grasp. 

          "Would you stop wiggling already? Isn't it obvious that I'm not going to get off you until you drop this vendetta you have on me?"

          "You want me to drop it? You're a freaking bounty hunter! _I find animals_…" He repeated in a mock tone. "Feh…you find animals all right, and then you sell them to the highest bidder!" He struggled more, wishing he hadn't let his guard down before. 

          After Rei had concluded that Kai was a bounty hunter he went for his throat. Luckily (Or unluckily for Rei) Kai dodged in time to get away. Rei continued to go after him until Dranzer tried to reason with him. That's when the raven-haired boy lost his concentration, giving Kai enough of an edge to knock Rei over. And that's the way it was now. Kai had pinned Rei down, straddling him and holding his arms down his hands and his kicking legs with his own. The only way Rei could get up was if he turned them over, but Kai outweighed him by a few pounds so that was out of the question.

          "I don't sell them to the highest bidder! Clients come to me in search of a particular animal and offer me a price. If it's worth the money I go to find it. And that's why it's so important for me to be able to communicate with Dranzer by word of mouth! If I could verbally tell her what do to she'd be able to take the animal down quicker." Rei huffed and tried to kick out.

           "You really think _that_ argument is going to win me over now?! Why the hell would I want you and Dranzer to be able to work more efficiently? That means that you'd capture more and more of my friends! You really are as stupid as I thou-" Kai swiftly planted his feet down, effectively hitting and knocking Rei's to the ground. "OW!" 

          "It's your own fault." Kai sighed as the boy continued to show his rage. "Rei I'm not dumb enough to take every offer handed to me. Most aren't even worth my time. And I keep track of how many of which animal I've caught and Kenny keeps an approximate count of how many of the species are left. If the numbers go down I'd turn down every offer that came. I'm not so cruel that I'd actually let one of these creatures go extinct you know!" Rei tried to look up at him, his claws digging into the dirt. 

          "Well all I know it that practically every time I go searching for more inconspicuous ways into town, I see and destroy many traps set for animals! Nets, holes, slings, baited boxes, cages, even bear traps, you name it I've annihilated it! Someone set those traps Kai, and I'm betting it wasn't by an environmentalist!" Kai brought both of Rei's claws together behind his back and held them both down with one hand while he used his now free hand to push the boy down at the base of his neck, careful to avoid putting pressure near the burn on his shoulder. He leaned down so that he was right by Rei's sensitive ears.

          "Listen, do you know how poplar bounty hunters are in town? I'm betting one third of the workingmen and even some women in town are on some level a hunter, and all of them set their sites on Umber Wood creatures. They probably lay out those traps everyday in hopes of catching something by nightfall, but guess what? At least ninety percent of them fail because either you get to them, or the animals are too smart to fall for them." He sat up again, applying less pressure on the base of his neck.

          "I don't use weak and immoral traps like those to catch my target. I use my skill, Dranzer, and the supplies on my belt. So don't go writing me off as one of those lower class hunters. I'm the best for a reason Rei, because I actually know what I'm doing and I do it well." He noticed Rei's ears lower, and his struggling stopped, was he humiliated because he realized he was wrong?

          "Huh…"

          "What? Surprised that you're wrong?" Rei hissed at him.

          "No…someone's coming." Guess he wasn't humiliated. Kai looked around.

          "Who would possible come up here?" Dranzer, who up to then had been silent because she was tired of listening to their banter, hopped over to the mouth of the cave.

          "Who is it Dranzer?" The phoenix chirped.

          {It's that blonde friend of your Rei-neko, and Tyson and Kenny too.} Rei raised an eyebrow as his ears went up.

          "Max, Tyson, and Kenny? Why would they come here?" He was soon answered when Max flew into view, with the two other boys as well.

          "Rei! We need your help-uh…what happened?" He placed the two boys safely on the ground before landing himself. "Were you guys in the middle of something…important?" Rei blushed as Kai finally let go of him and got up like nothing happened. 

          "Uh…no, it's nothing." He arched his back as he stretched just as a cat would. Hey, your back would hurt too it Kai was practically sitting on you. "So what did you need help with?" Max turned to Tyson, who turned to Kenny, who looked at both of them surprisingly.

          "Why do I have to say it?" Tyson crossed his arms.

          "Because Dizzi was trapped in your laptop." Rei caught that last part as he stood up.

          "What do you mean _was_?" Kenny sighed and started from the beginning. It was a long story…

~*~

          Once Elle and her guards returned to her throne (1), she put Dizzi in a magical cage. "I'm sorry to do this to you De, but it's for your own good." Dizzi got up and grabbed the bars.

          "For my own good?! Elle, you're keeping me here against my will! I know that when we were growing up we played fairy and human (2) but really! You know that fairies are allowed to come and go as they please! How else can we spread our magic to the other plants and flowers in the Umber Woods?" The queen sighed and sat on her throne. 

          "I know that there is no such law, but there is one about humans and how we are not allowed to bring any here."

          "I didn't bring them here! Max wanted to show them this valley that he found a while ago. I can't see without that camera, how was I supposed to know we were coming here?"

          "I'm sorry De, but I'll have to keep you locked up until you come to your senses and realize that going back with those humans is a mistake." Dizzi leaned against the bars.

          "He'll come for me you know. So I don't see why we don't try to talk this out." Elle looked over to her.

          "Who will come, the human? They'll have to get past the guards and the magical boundary, you know, the one that wards off humans. As for talking, I don't see what we could have to talk about."

          "Elle, just because I'm friends with Kenny doesn't mean I'm different then I was before. I'm the same person, only with more friends. And even though I'll be with him most of the time, I'm definitely come back to visit." Elle met Dizzi's blue eyes but sighed and got up.

          "Listen De, I don't want to keep you locked up, but the law is very clear on humans. We cannot interact with them. It's just not done. And unless a deal is made, then the law will hold strong." Dizzi reached out to her.

          "Elle, we're grown up now! We don't have to make-believe we're queens anymore; you are the queen! You can change the law!"

          "I wish I could, but then my supervisors would tell me that if I make an exception for you, I should be able to for the others. And I don't want all my people to go out into the human world. I don't want to see them trapped in nets, jars and who knows what else."

          "But fairies go into the human world all the time to keep the plants growing! I think even they know that someone is helping them. I mean, take it from me, I've lived with humans for months and Kenny can't even keep his little Chia pet thingy alive without my help." Elle shared a laugh with her.

          "They do need a lot of help don't they? But only my most experienced fairies can go out to town and there is a law enabling them to. I'm sorry De, it just can't be done." Dizzi sat down with a sigh. 

          "Well, all the same, Kenny and the others will come and try to get me out." Elle shook her head.

          "No human can get through without a fairy and since you aren't in that laptop thingy anymore, I'm afraid they won't get through." Dizzi tilted her head.

          "Who said they'd be alone?" Elle snapped her head up.

          "Who else could get them throu-oh no…the half breed." Dizzi nodded with a smile.

~*~(While that was going on…)

          Once Kenny had finished, Rei scratched his cheek and leaned against the rocks. 

          "This is why I didn't want you to meet up Max. I knew you guys would get into trouble." Rei sighed, seeing as this wasn't the best time he thought about the current problem. "So…you want me to get some animal to help or something?" Kenny, Max and Tyson nodded; hope gleaming through their eyes. "I want to…but I don't have much precedence in the fairy valley. I doubt Robert has much either. It's on the other side of our mountain you know." The blonde shrugged.

          "But I thought that you might know an animal that would be able to help." Rei tilted his head. 

          "Hm…most of the animals I know hardly ever cross to the other side, even Driger hasn't gone to the valley more than once." The smile on the younger boy's face faded.

          "So you don't know anyone?" The raven-haired boy thought hard, there must have been some creature that owed him something or that could help…he just wasn't thinking. Tyson groaned.

          "Sorry Chief, I guess this was a dead end. And even if Rei did ask someone to help do you really think that creature would do much? I think that permafrost stuff has iced over the queen's heart." Kenny hit him with his laptop.

          "Tyson!"

          "What? It's not like they can hear me." Rei's eyes lit up and he gave them a toothy grin. Max smiled too; when Rei had that look in his eyes he usually had an answer.

          "I think you've got something there Tyson." The blue-haired boy and the brunette looked over.

          "I do?"

          "He does?"

          "Yea! Well, not about their hearts freezing over, but about ice. There is this one animal I know that might be able to help us out." Max floated over to him.

          "Who Rei?" The older boy turned to him with a triumphant look of his face.

          "Wolborg."

~::~::~::Since I took such a long break and might take another I better keep going::~::~::~

          Max echoed him curiously. 

          "Wolborg? The wolf that Robert showed us that lives all alone by that lake near your arch?" Rei nodded.

          "The very one." It took him a minute, but soon the little angel understood.

          "Oh, I get it! That's a great idea Rei!"

          "Yea, hopefully he remembers that he owes me a favor and will do this for us though." While those two applauded their success, Tyson and Kenny were in the dark (And Kai was barely paying attention). 

          "Uh guys, who or what is a Wolborg?" Max turned to face Tyson.

          "I told you. Wolborg is this wolf that lives by the lake-" He stopped him.

          "No, I heard that, but who is he?" Rei took over.

          "Wolborg is one of the remaining ice animals in the Umber Woods. Robert pointed him out to us once and after that I went back to get to know him. He owes me because I helped him tell a bunch of unicorns that the lake was his territory and that they should go find another area. He said that he'd pay me back, but I'm not too sure if he remembers." Kenny smiled.

          "Ah, I get it!" Tyson sat down.

          "Well I don't. How will Wolborg help get Dizzi back?" Max floated over to him.

          "Fairies are strict in their laws, and since they have one about no association with humans, we have to make a deal with them instead." Rei agreed.

          "Yup, deals are loopholes for us."

          "So all we have to do is trade Dizzi for Wolborg's services."

          "His…services?" Kai scoffed at him and told him clearly as he was getting annoyed.

          "Wolborg can remove the permafrost below the earth so that the fairies don't have to use so much of their magic on helping their own plants." Tyson finally nodded in understanding.

          "Why didn't you just say that in the first place? Wow, how cool is that?! Where did you say Wolborg lived? I want to go visit him!" Rei got off the rocks and walked towards the mouth of the cave.

          "The lake by the arch on the other side of the mountain, but I'm afraid you can't see him, he's…not too fond of company. I'll get him and meet you guys at the valley, ok?" He was about to jump down until Max stopped him. 

          "Hold on Rei, can't you just go through here?"

          "What?" Max glanced back into the cave.

          "Well, doesn't this cave lead to Robert's-mrmph…" Rei covered his mouth quickly and shushed him. The others eyed him curiously and he laughed nervously. He hurriedly whispered into Max's ear:

          "I know, I know that Robert's cave is just on the other side of this mountain, in the exact same spot…and yes I know that this cave probably leads straight to it but I can't go that way! Grypholyion is probably waiting on the other side, so I'll have to go the long way. Bring the others to the tree that bears the sweet purple berries, and stay there. I'll meet you there as soon as I can." Max wanted to argue with him, to tell him that if he flew him over he'd get there quicker, but he knew better. Rei would probably win the argument sooner or later. 

          "Which purple berry tree?" Rei smiled and scanned the forest. 

          "Uh…the one that marks off the boundary of the fairy valley. The queen probably reinforced it so that we can't get in. Take your time, I might be a while." Max gave him the ok.

          "No problem. Oh, and watch out for Grypholyion when you go to the other side, he might be making his rounds."

          "Then it might be good to let him see me, so that he doesn't suspect anything." The blonde laughed.

          "I guess that's why you're the older one." He turned around to meet the others. "See you at the tree!" Rei nodded and jumped down, quickly making his way down the rocky ledge until he hit the ground. 

          "Let's see…it's the right." Turning around, Rei sprinted over to the waterfall as Max told the others what was going on.

          "So we'll meet Rei and Wolborg at the purple berry tree that marks off the beginning of the fairy valley and take it from there." Tyson got up and walked over to him.

          "You sure that's going to work?" The blonde nodded enthusiastically.

          "Of course it will! We just need Wolborg and everything will go smoothly. Now we better get going, it might take a while to get there if we don't fly." Kenny, Tyson and Kai followed Max to the cave's mouth and starred down the steep ledge.

          "Uh…why can't you fly us down Maxie?" 

          "After taking you guys from the valley up to this cave? My wings need a rest." Tyson continued to look down at the seemingly higher than before cliff.

          "But you're flying now."

          "Yea, but I'm used to just supporting myself. It's hard to carry two other people." As he groaned Kai passed him and started descending.

          "Stop complaining and start going Tyson, you're lucky he flew you up. I had to get up here myself." Kenny reluctantly went after Kai as the other blue haired boy huffed.

          "Excuse me, I'm not an experienced hunter like you are." Grudgingly he kneeled down and began his descent. "I don't do this kind of stuff everyday." The older bluenette suppressed a growl and continued his path.

          "Do me a favor Tyson and don't mention that I'm a bounty hunter around Rei." Max agreed as he flew near them.

          "Yea, Rei really doesn't like bounty hunters. Oh, I keep forgetting that you're one Kai. Is that why you were holding him down when I flew up?" Kai gave a 'hn' and carefully placed his foot on a rock to hold himself.

          "You couldn't have told me about his temper earlier?" Max shrugged.

          "I didn't think you'd mention it."

          "How could I not? It's my job." The blonde made his way over to him.

          "Sorry. That's just how Rei is when he hears about them, Robert too." Kai glanced at him and then at the cliff again. He had to concentrate on getting down safely, but he also wanted to know why Rei nearly clawed is eyes out…again.

          "Tell me Max, you seem ok with the fact that I'm a bounty hunter, what's Rei's problem?" The blonde crossed his legs and his arms, thinking back.

          "Well, it happened a few years ago, maybe a month or two after Robert found us. Rei had just befriended Driger (As a cub) and was starting to gain interest in the world beyond the waterfall…your side of the forest. So one day he went out there with Driger and while they were exploring, a bounty hunter went after Driger. I suppose he thought Rei was a little boy who had wandered in because he didn't try to get him. Anyway, Driger was almost caught if it weren't for Robert. He was coming back from town and when he saw the situation, he knocked the hunter unconscious. Rei freed Driger and Robert brought them both back to our side of the mountain." Max sighed.

"Ever since then Rei has held this huge grudge against all hunters. Even now when Driger is full grown and capable of taking on three hunters, Rei is still full of disdain, though he won't show it unless he's around one." Kai nodded.

"That'll explain why he practically ripped my throat out back at the cave." The winged boy uncrossed his legs and landed as he was pretty close to the ground. 

"I'm surprised you were able to get away with only a few scratches. The last time Rei ran into a hunter he nearly killed him. That guy was lucky I had come by and flew Rei back to our side of the mountain, otherwise who knows what would have happened." Kai jumped off the side of the cliff and landed nicely beside Max. He brushed off the dust and dirt on his hands and shirt before looking up at the others.

"How come he didn't attack me when I first saw him at the festival?" Max pointed to the boy's hands.

"Didn't he get a good strike at your hands?" Kai glanced at his gloved hands.

"Those are nothing, he didn't really try to kill me until now." 

"Well Rei doesn't want to seriously injure anyone until he knows that they are really hunters. He probably thought you were some jerk who saw too much back at the festival." Once he had realized his choice of words Max laughed nervously. "Uh…well, you know what I mean. Rei's naturally defensive around people and sometimes he forgets just how sharp his claws can be." Kai absentmindedly rubbed the spot where the raven-haired boy had scratched him.

"Looks like I chose the wrong half breed to discover." Max nodded with a smile.

"Yup. I'd never scratch," He checked his own nails. "I can't do that, but don't count me out either Kai. I have my own defensive tricks." The bluenette raised an eyebrow and smirked. 

"Hey Max! I think I need a hand!" The blonde and the older boy turned their attention to the source of the call. It seems like Tyson and Kenny stopped their journey half way down the hill and were stuck.

"Some assistance would be nice if it's not too much trouble Max!" He giggled and flew up to them. 

"No problem guys." Grabbing Tyson's wrist and Kenny's hand they let go of the cliff and allowed Max to lower them gently to the bottom. Once firmly on the ground, Tyson hugged a nearby tree in relief.

"Oh it's good to be back!" Kenny wasn't as dramatic, but he was grateful.

"It is nice to have two feet on the ground again. Thanks Max."

"Yea, thanks Maxie. We owe you one." The blonde waved off their thanks.

"You're welcome, and don't worry about it, it was nothing." Kai crossed his arms.

"I thought you said your wings were tired." The younger boy turned to him.

"They are, but I can handle a little thing like bringing those two halfway down a cliff. Now if they ask me to fly them to the valley I'll have to pass." Tyson patted his shoulder.

"No need. I think we can handle that." With an agreeing nod from Kenny Max smiled.

"Then I think we're ready to go. Rei's probably there waiting for us already." 

"If he's as fast as I predict he is than you're probably right." Kenny opened his laptop and frowned at the emptiness that faced him. "Then again, without Dizzi…I don't really know." 

"I'm sure everything will be ok Kenny. Rei said that this plan would work and I believe in him." Max folded his wings behind him and led the group on. "He's probably thinking up the rest of the plan already. Let's go!" Tyson and Kenny nodded and followed him while Kai glanced up and the cave. 

'Rei also said that he'd teach me if he wants Max safe. Will he put aside his thoughts of killing me long enough to do it?' With a sharp whistle Dranzer came down from the mouth of the cave, where she had been waiting patiently. She landed on his shoulder with a chirp. 

"If he doesn't I'm sure I can convince him, right Dranzer?" She tilted her head in confusion but gave a screech anyway. "Dranzer…"

{I sure hope Rei-neko won't try to hurt you again Master Kai. Hm…how will we be able to communicate if you are always at each other's throats?} Kai picked up the pace and caught up with the others, this was going to be an interesting day.

~*~*~*~

(1) Her kingdom is the entire valley, the only place that is truly marked off as hers is a throne/chair by a small stone monument. 

(2) Their version of Cowboys and Indians where one is bad and the other catches them and locks them up.

SS-Hey, it looks like the group is going to meet Wolborg next. ^^ Isn't that cool?

Tym-You can leave the puns for some other time. Right now you should finish the chapter of SSM that you promised.

SS-Give me a little rest I'm still recovering from my fever!

Tym-Hurry then, Winter Break is halfway done! 

SS-*cries* I know! Sorry for the delay everyone, it shan't happen again. Tootles!

Tym-*blinks* Shan't?! Who the heck uses _shan't_ anymore?!

SS-It's a fancy shall not! Jeez…you try to be a little proper…

Tym-*sigh* Please review…and don't worry about that word…she shall not use it again.  


	7. A crack in the ice

SS-I'm back everyone!

Tym-Whoo-hoo…

SS-Don't sound so enthusiastic Tym…Oh, Happy New Year everyone! This year ought to be just as interesting as the last. 

Tym-We can only hope…

SS-Yea. And before I forget, I must thank all you lovely readers! 

**Devlinn Reiko**: *gasp* It's your birthday?! (Or it was…) Happy birthday! How old are you? Probably older than I am…-___-;; Anywho, cookies for you to munch on as you read! Enjoy!

Tym- O.O How come I don't get cookies? 

**Platinum Rei**: I'm in your favorites?! Thank you! *dances* That's so cool. ^^

**xXxCeRuLeAn-x'SxXx**: Hope I spelled that right…writing long chapters is a challenge sometimes, but since I don't update as often as I _should_, I hope it makes up for that. Hope you like this chappie; it's another lengthy one.

**Chibi Kitty**: Sorry! I know that the gaps between chapters are getting bigger but I'm doing what I can. If only this was a class at school I'd be able to write more and more often. 

**I luv Kai**: Wolborg is a cutie isn't he? Too bad they don't show too much of him in the first season. And even when they do his picture isn't too clear. I think I got the description right…strike all the armor and stuff anyway. Enjoy!

**MadMaddie**: Yea Kai/Rei moments I have to work more of those in! It might take some time though since they're still on an "I hate you" basis. Don't worry they'll come around.

**Leiko1**: I should have made the code easier seeing as most readers already know about what happened to Rei. I've been waiting _patiently_ for the episode when he gets Driger back but in my area the station is still replaying old episodes! Argh…

**Syoaran-lover**: Thanks for reviewing! I know Kai's your fav. I like him too…just know that I favor Rei slightly otherwise I would have made Kai the half-breed and Rei the bounty-ou…I'm confusing myself ^^. I'll stop rambling now. 

We better begin…

~*~*~*~

Loving Legends

Chapter 6 – A crack in the ice

Disclaimer: See prologue please! There you'd see that the only thing I own is my faithful computer and this plotline…this very slow plotline =) Arigato!

#**notes**#

[hi] That's Driger talking

*hi hi* That's…Wolborg

(+) hi again (+) And that is Grypholyion 

**WARNING**: This is going to be a long chapter…(Some 9,000 words) so get a snack if you need it. ^^I'm sure it's good for you, but not for my fingers. 

~*~*~*~

          Once Rei had surfaced from the lake he quickly shook off the excess water as he scanned the area. 

          "Well, I don't see Grypholyion anywhere…" He flung his long ponytail back and his ears perked up. "Hm…I don't hear him either. I wonder if that's a good thing or not…" Leaving the question up in the air, Rei sprinted off to his left, toward the summit. It was a humongous clearing he had took note of when Robert was giving them a tour of the area they were allowed to explore. Most of the grass was short and easy to run through. There was a fairly large lake in the middle of it and a sturdy stone arch towering near it. Rei liked to sit on the top of the arch sometimes, just to think and to be alone. 

"I can't believe I didn't realize it sooner. How could I have been so blind? _I catch animals_…pff, that was rich. Still, I was the one to fall for it, and I'll have to play my cards right if I want him out of my hair without harming anyone."

He reached the summit in no time, as the path to it was long since emblazoned into his mind. He sighed and cut through the now waist-high reeds. It had been a while since he was here, giving the pasture plenty of time to shoot up. He noticed however, that the grass to his left had been pushed down. And it led straight to the lake.

          "Three guesses on who could have done that." He jogged over to the makeshift road and followed it to the lake…rubbing the small of his back along the way.

"Argh…he just had to crush my back. I'm surprised I was able to get here without a cane." When he reached the end, the beautifully clear, serene lake lay before him. As a breeze blew past him he sighed in relief, letting his tension go with the wind. 

          "As wonderful as it always has been." The gusts blew hastily through his messy hair, and he huffed as he brushed them aside. 

          *I'm surprised you remember what it looks like.* Rei turned to his left and smiled as he found the source of the deep, smooth voice. It was an elder yet still strong white wolf. He had seen his share of battles as there was a rather noticeable jagged scar across his forehead, but it was the only thing that marred his otherwise flawless snowy fur. His eyes were a piercing ice blue (1) color and his two top incisors were visible at the edges of his mouth. Despite his fearsome appearance, Rei walked over to him like he was a bunny.

          "Why would I not?" The wolf threw his head back with a low growl.

          *You haven't been here for so long I figure you've forgotten about it.* Rei shook his head and ran his hand over the soft, white coat.

          "You said that you didn't like company, plus I've just been busy. And it's nice to see you too Wolborg." The set of icy eyes caught his gaze.

          *Little kitty, I know that you don't normally talk to me when you come here, so what is it that you need?* Rei looked shocked.

          "You think that I've come to ask you for something? I'm hurt."   

          *Please just ask little one.* Rei patted the wolf's head and smirked.

          "Why so hasty? Are you…tired?" Wolborg glared directly into his joyous golden eyes. Rei knew that he wasn't the wolf he used to be, and that the years have taken its toll on the warrior. So he often teased him about his strength. While this often annoyed Wolborg, he actually thanked Rei for it because it kept him on top of his game.

          *No, it's just that I was planning on taking a little stroll up to Falborg's nest soon, so if you want my help you'll have to make it quick.* The boy nodded and sighed. Falborg was Wolborg's old war buddy and they went way back. He often visited him, though the massive bird usually came down to the lake since it was easier for him.

          "Ok, it's nothing really. You see, this group of humans came into the forest and…well, it's a long story so I better give you the reader's digest version. Our friend is trapped in the fairy valley, and the only way we can get her out is by making a deal with the queen. I'm thinking that in exchange for her, you can remove the layer of ice below the valley." Wolborg's tattered ears sprung up.

          *The fairy valley you say?* Rei nodded.

          "Don't tell me your hearing is going…" Rei almost fell over when he nudged him with his substantial paw.

          *I think that was part of my territory back in the war times. Yes, Falborg found it for me and I put it on ice for later.* Rei let his tail swish.

          "Uh ok…all puns aside, you can remove it right?" Wolborg got up from his seemingly comfortable spot and stretched as he gave a yawn. 

          *Sure, I think Falborg can wait. That old parrot certainly didn't mind standing aside when I was attacked by that hoard of phoenixes back in the day.* Rei laughed as he jumped onto his back.

          "Old parrot? Last time you mentioned him you made it seem like he was a hero." Wolborg roared, though it was presumably a laugh. 

          *Falborg? Even that egotistic Trygle can fly circles around him.* They took off at a surprisingly blistering pace, much faster than most would expect from an elderly wolf.

          "If he's as bad as you say, why was he your war partner?"

          *You think I got to choose my partner? And besides, he grows on you. Plus he is one heck of a storyteller. His crazy anecdotes were the only thing keeping me awake while we waited for the invasion.* When they neared the waterfall a screech from something above made Rei tug on the wolf's tattered pelts.

          "Hold up Wolborg! Stop!" The creature obeyed, only because the yanking was irking him to no end. 

          *What is it little kitty?* Rei looked up, catching a streak of purple. He jumped off the beast and walked out into the clearing.

          "I need to make an appearance." Wolborg followed him, eyeing the boy curiously.

          *As if you don't get enough attention. When I was younger I was lucky if-* Rei raised his hand in an effort to shush him.

          "When you were younger you were lucky if a Tyrannosaurs didn't mistake you for a mouse. Now hush! I have to wait for Grypholyion to fly over here." Wolborg batted his tail at him.

          *You, little kitty, need to learn to respect your much more powerful, and much more threatening elder.* He sat down and licked his paw. *Now why do you need that mismatch? (2) Usually you and that blonde angel are always hiding from him.* 

          "Yea I know, but I need him to see me now so that he won't be suspicious of where I've been." As the wolf went back to cleaning and Rei continued to stare into the sky, Driger came running.

          [Rei! What are you doing here? I was about to go out to warm you that Grypholyion is searching for you.] While the raven-haired boy took notice of him, Driger noticed the white wolf and stared at him suspiciously. Wolborg, in turn, stopped his action and met his gaze.

          *What? Do I have an acorn in my fur or something?* The tiger shook his head and scratched his ear.

          [No, just wondering why you're not resting in your retirement meadow.] Rei stepped between them quickly. The two beasts didn't appreciate each other's company too much. While Driger wasn't around during the war in the Umber Woods, his father was, and he and Wolborg were on opposing sides. Even though the tiger never actually fought with him (Except for verbal spars), he still held some disdain for the wolf because of what he did to his father. 

          "So, Driger…Grypholyion is coming?" Driger nodded, never taking his eyes off of the snowy enemy.

          [He'll be flying over this area in a minute or two. And what exactly _is_ he doing here?] Rei glanced at Wolborg, who was keeping his icy stare on Driger as well.

          "Oh, he's helping me with something." The tiger grinned.

[Well it's good to see that you're still active. I thought the ice in your veins would have frozen you stiff by now.] The wolf gave a low growl in return. Rei kept turning from Driger to Wolborg, smiling nervously.

"Is it just me or does fighting naturally flow through the blood of Umber Wood creatures?" The two finally looked away from each other, and the raven-haired youth gave a sigh of relief. He felt more gusts blow down on him and realized that Grypholyion was probably landing near him. Glancing up, he nodded in confirmation. He waved enthusiastically.

"Hey Grypholyion! Long time no see huh?" The great beast made a graceful landing and folded his wings neatly behind him. 

(+) Hello to you too young one. (+) When he spoke his voice wasn't too loud, but held much confidence and authority. Obviously he had learned to keep his voice down when he was around the young ones, as he referred to them as. 

          (+) I've been looking for you for a long time young Rei. Tell me, where have you been lately? Robert has been wondering as well. (+) Rei gestured to Wolborg.

          "I've just been spending time with Wolborg. And Driger came to tell me something." Grypholyion eyed the wolf carefully. He didn't care much for him either. During the war they were against each other, and now he didn't feel too comfortable having Rei near him. However, since Driger was with them, he eased on the wolf and continued with his original task.

          (+) Then where is young Max? (+) He asked curiously.

          "Max?" Rei didn't look around for that would have indicated that he didn't know where the blonde was. So he turned and pointed to the forest. "He's back in the forest waiting for me. I told him that I was going to show Wolborg around and then I would come back." The great beast tossed his head and starred into the trees as if he could see through them. It looked like he was deciding something. Rei waited patiently, hoping that Grypholyion would drop it quickly so that he could get to the others.

          (+) Well finish up soon. You know that Robert doesn't like it when you leave Max alone. (+) He unfolded his massive wings and flapped them lightly, taking flight swiftly. 

(+) Robert wants you and Max to report to him as soon as he returns from town. There is something he needs to discuss with the both of you. (+) Rei smiled and nodded.

"All right." 

(+) I'll send Driger for you when the time comes, and don't be late. (+) The boy saluted him. Back in the war days the noble creature was the leading commander for his army, which Driger's father were part of. Rei remembered that when he was younger his salutes humored the great beast, as he would always correct him on his sloppiness and incorrect positioning.

(+) At ease young one, at ease. (+) He replied with a touch of delight in his rough voice. His wings brought him above the canopy within seconds and he made his way back to Robert's cave from there. Rei sighed in relief and walked over to Wolborg.

"That was close." After jumping onto his back he nodded to Driger. "Thanks for the heads up. I'm pretty sure we'll be back before Robert returns, but warn us if we're not." He pointed to his right. "We're going to the fairy valley, so it shouldn't take too long." Rei patted Wolborg's head lightly. "Let's go!" The wolf took off in a trot and eventually grew to a dash. "Thanks Driger!" With that he disappeared under the waterfall, and the tiger growled.

[First it was the Dragon's den, and now it's the fairy valley? Pretty soon that boy's going to run out of places to run off to.]

~*~

          Meanwhile, Max and the others were already waiting for Rei at the purple berry tree. Max was hovering in front of the entrance, looking for any signs of his friend. Kai was off to the side, with Dranzer perched on his shoulder. He was getting rather annoyed at the delay. Rei was supposed to be teaching him right now, not fetching some ice wolf. He sighed and stroked his phoenix's soft plumage. She nuzzled his hair in response.

          {Don't worry; he'll be here soon.} Kai knew that she was trying to tell him something, but all he heard was chirps.

          "I'm sorry Dranz, I still don't understand." He continued to brush her feathers as he waited. 'But I will soon.' 

          Tyson and Kenny were sitting by the barrier, practically bored to tears. "Hey Max, any sign yet?" The blonde shook his head.

          "Not yet Tyson, but I'm sure he'll be here soon." The blue haired boy sighed.

          "Didn't you say that a couple of minutes ago?" Kenny shushed him.

          "Stop complaining Tyson, I'm sure Rei's doing the best he can." Catching the undertone of the brunette's voice Tyson nodded and went back to trailing his finger in the earth, making little doodles. He knew that Kenny was the most anxious for Rei to get here so that they could proceed into the valley; so this wasn't the best time for his comments.

          "Sorry Chief. I'm just bored out of my mind." 

          "Me too." Tyson brushed the dirt off his hands and got up.

          "You know, maybe we can get in without Rei. We did it once before." Kenny tried to stop him.

          "Wait! We can't!" 

          "Why not? We can wait for him when we're at wherever the queen has Dizzi."

          "No, that's not what I meant, we can't go through without-" His warning came a little too late for once Tyson stepped past the tree a shock sent him flying backwards. 

          "Augh…that wasn't…good…" Kenny and Max went to him as Kai shook his head.

          "I was trying to tell you that without a fairy we can't pass the barrier." Max pulled the boy to his feet.

          "Thanks for letting me know Chief." The brunette sighed.

          "Well I was trying to tell you but you wouldn't listen as usual." Tyson rubbed his back while shaking his fist at the invisible barrier.

          "Once Rei gets here you're going down!" Max giggled, currently oblivious to the approaching figure.

          "You're telling a barrier to die? I hope I'm not too late." Everyone turned in time to see the white wolf come to a stop before them with Rei on his back. "Don't tell me, Tyson tried to walk through?" The blonde nodded.

          "Yea, it's a good thing you came Rei. I had a feeling that if you took any longer Tyson was going to throw something at it." The raven-haired boy hopped off Wolborg's back gracefully and led him to the barrier. 

          "Then it's a good thing I finished up with Grypholyion quickly." 

          "You saw Grypholyion? What did he say?" Rei eased the younger one's fears.

          "Don't worry, he doesn't suspect anything. We just need to be back as soon as possible because Robert wants to talk to us once he gets back." 

          "Ok, well I don't think it'll be too long." He nodded and glanced at the creature beside him when he nudged him. 

          "Oh, right. Max, Tyson, Kenny…Kai, this is Wolborg." The half-breed pointed out each boy as he named him so that he didn't have to speak in wolf to Wolborg. "He lives in the summit by the lake. With his help Dizzi will be back before you know it." Kenny smiled.

          "Thanks Rei…er, Wolborg." Rei poked the wolf in the side when the brunette gave his thanks. Not understanding a word of human he gave a nod just to acknowledge whatever he had said.

          "Um…anyway, let's try to get through now." Tyson grabbed his shoulder.

          "Hold on, we need a fairy." A grin crossed his face.

          "Don't worry, just let me try." As the memory of what happened the last time popped back into his head, the bluenette stepped aside. Rei made his way to the barrier, checking the purple berry tree that set it off. He could see it, but it was very faint. He reached forward with his hand, feeling only a slight tinge as it crossed over. Taking a breath he tried walking in; this time a jolt passed through him like a wave, stopping his foot from reaching the ground on the other side. 

          "Uh…" While the others saw that he clearly couldn't make it through, Wolborg assumed he was taking his precious time. And you know what happens when you assume things…

          *Come on kid hurry it up! Honestly you're slower than a turtle crossing a desert.* The large wolf got up and pushed against Rei's back with his head. The raven-haired boy glanced at him in surprise.

          "…Wolborg!" The wolf kept pushing.

          *Speed it up little kitty!* The barrier seemed to sense the intrusion and gave more jolt as Rei and Wolborg were forced backwards with a vengeance. 

          "Ah-oh!" Thankfully the boy landed on Wolborg's soft fur; however, the cushion wasn't too happy about it.

          *Rei…get off me.* He rolled off reluctantly, shaking his head in frustration. Max, Tyson and Kenny ran over to the two as Kai chuckled silently to himself.

          "Rei, are you alright?" Rei got up and sighed.

          "Yea, I'll live." He stared at the force field, quite annoyed by it. "This is a little more difficult than I thought." 

          "I guess Dizzi told Elle that we'd come for her so she reinforced the security." 

          "You're probably right Max. The last time we came here we didn't need anything or anyone to get through." Rei looked around. "We'll need to find some other way around it then." Max nodded and followed Rei's lead, searching the area for a break in the field or some other answer. 

          "Wha?" A red flash caught his eye, appearing and disappearing on the other side of the barrier. His blue eyes lit up as he found the source and jogged over to Kai.

          "Yes?" Ignoring the bluenette's glare, Max smiled.

          "Dranzer…" Kai blinked.

          "What?" The blonde didn't take notice of him and ran back to Rei. 

          "Hey Rei, I think I got it!" The raven-haired boy glanced at him. 

          "You do? What is it?" He tugged him over to Dranzer and Kai. 

          "It's her! She can pass through the barrier! That must be it, mythical creatures should be able to cross through with no problem!" Rei gazed at the phoenix, finally becoming aware that her tail was passing in and out of the valley without jolts. 

          'Max is right. Elle is only trying to keep us out, but she can't keep out mythical creatures because then the fairies in her kingdom wouldn't be able to leave. But she did have to beef it up so that Max and I couldn't cross over because she knew that we were friends of Dizzi too.' Rei ruffled Max's bouncy blonde hair affectionately.

          "You really hit the nail on the head turtle dove! Great job!" He giggled.

          "Well I couldn't let you show me up now could I?" Rei stopped and walked over to Dranzer.

          "Don't push it. I'll take it from here." He held his hand out to the bird and spoke to her. "Dranzer, come here." She bobbed her head and jumped from Kai's shoulder to Rei's waiting hand. Kai glared at him.

"Rei what are you-"

"No Kai, this is going to work." He led her back to Wolborg and set her down on the wolf's head. He eyed her curiously.

          *Rei…why did you place a phoenix on my head?*

          {And why did you place me on the head of a wolf?} He motioned him to the barrier.

          "Walk through."

          {*What?*} They replied in unison. Rei grinned.

          "Go on, I think this will work." They glanced at each other one more time before Wolborg trotted forward. Just as Rei thought, the two passed through with ease. 

          {Now what Rei-neko?} He waved them back enthusiastically as Max flew over, a smile on his face as well.

          "Come back!" He turned to the others and motioned them to come over. "This'll work. We just need a mythical creature with us to pass through. So it doesn't have to be a fairy." Once the two had come back, Dranzer hopped off his head and returned to Kai's shoulder.

          {So I just need to be with Master Kai for him to pass safely?}

          "I think so. Either that or you need to carry him. As for the rest of us, we'll have to ride over on Wolborg." The wolf didn't know much of any human talk, but he did recognize his name.

          *What did you say about me?* Rei turned to him with an innocent expression on his face. 

          "Well, since we need a mythical creature to pass through the field…we're all going to ride over on you." Wolborg straightened in shock.

          *Now hold on little kitty. I can handle one, but you, plus a little angel, a pair of glasses with a human on them, another human with some clothing on his head, and a half-breed wannabe (3)?* He turned away and began walking off. *I don't think so.* The boy sprinted ahead of him and steered him back.

          "Come on Wolborg you owe me one. And it's not like we're asking you to take us all the way to the queen, we just need you to help us cross the barrier. Plus Kai will have Dranzer so that's one less human." Wolborg tossed his head back.

          *All of you are going to break my back. Remember, I'm not the ice wolf I used to be.* He sighed.

          "You have more mood swings than I have hair styles. Honestly, before we left our side of the mountain you were telling me that you were still strong." 

          *I didn't think I was going to be a bus for all of you.*

          "Don't think of us a cargo…think of us as passengers who need a lift." The wolf growled.

          *It's all the same! I'll still have a heavy load matting down my fur.* Rei grabbed his white coat and pulled him towards the others.

          "Look, you owe me, so don't think you can get out of this. Besides, it'll only be for a second. Don't be such a baby." He let go when they were in front of the barrier and the others were around them. "If I had known you were going to be this stubborn I could have asked Driger to get us across." Wolborg flicked his tail at the boy.

          *Don't go there little kitty.* He knelt down with a bark. *Just get it over with before I change my mind. I'd like to finish this before the sun sets.* Rei thanked him with a pat and gave a thumbs up to the rest.

          "All aboard!" Wolborg huffed. 

          "Are you sure he doesn't mind Rei? He looks like he doesn't like this very much." Rei shook his head.         

          "He'll get over it Max. Just get on before he takes off." The little blonde complied and sat on him gently, not wanting to anger the wolf. Rei looked at the other two. "Go on guys. He won't bite you." Tyson got on quickly, but Kenny was hesitant. 

          "Um…I don't he'd like it if we all got on him Rei." The older boy pushed him forward slowly.

          "Wolborg's strong Kenny and it isn't all of us, Dranzer is taking Kai over." The brunette glanced at the wolf and then Rei one more time before giving in.

          "All right." He hopped on, grabbing Tyson's shoulders immediately. Rei laughed and jumped on after him. 

          "Ok Wolborg, we're set." The wolf gave a gruff snarl and stood up, approaching the barrier at a leisurely pace. Rei shook his head. "Slow poke…" As the snail continued his trail, Rei glanced at Kai, who was standing before the barrier. 

          "Hey you going or what?" Kai met his gaze with a glare.

          "I just walk through?" 

          "Actually, if Dranzer can manage, she should carry you over. You know, hold onto her talons or something because I don't think her on your shoulder will work. Especially since she isn't full grown yet." Kai was reluctant to, but he whistled the order to Dranzer, who obeyed. 

          {Rei are you sure? I never tried carrying Master Kai before.}

          "Well the barrier isn't too thick, it'll just be for a little while."

          {All right.} She flew up just above Kai's head, waiting for him. With one more quick glance at Rei, Kai grabbed Dranzer's talons, careful to avoid the sharp points. It was easier than she had anticipated. Either that or Kai wasn't eating enough. 

          {Hold on Master Kai.} Once he was off the ground, she proceeded into the barrier.

          "See Wolborg, that wasn't too tough."

          *Yea yea…just get off already, my back is killing me!* The barrier was a lot thicker than Rei thought. It took a minute or two (At Wolborg's sluggish pace) before they came through completely. They hopped off rapidly, thanking the wolf as he sat down.

          "Thank you Wolborg."

          "Thanks for the lift!"

          "It was very nice of you to get us through." He didn't understand, but knowing it was some kind of thanks, he nodded and yawned.

          *Hey Rei, can we get going?* Rei was off to the side, staring at the barrier. The wolf trotted over. *Rei, why are you staring at the barrier?*

          "I know that flying Kai over was going to be hard, but it shouldn't take this long. For her age, Dranzer is pretty strong. They should be here by now."

          *Well, she is a phoenix…* Suddenly a string of fire shot through, causing Rei to drop and Wolborg to take a fighting stance.

          {I hear that you ice wolf.} Dranzer flew through soon after her little assault, landing on a neighboring tree branch gracefully. {And let me tell you, in a battle of fire and ice…you will get burned.} He huffed and sat down again, muttering what she had said in a mocking tone. Rei sighed, got up, and went to her.

          "Dranzer, where's Kai? What happened?" She gave a depressing chirp.

          {I couldn't get him through. Even though I was carrying him I could feel the jolts, and I know Master Kai did as well. I don't know what went wrong.}

          "Hm…maybe it's because he's a human and you're a little too young to bring him over. I mean, no offence to Wolborg, but he is older. With age comes experience and apparently enough strength to pass a barrier of this magnitude. I guess we'll have to leave him." She practically flew into his face, making him back up in surprise. 

          {No! Absolutely not Rei! You have to go back and get him!} He blinked.

          "What?! Why do I have to? Why don't I just send Wolborg back and-" At that, Wolborg got up and ran over.

          *Now wait one minute Rei. I'm not going back to get a human on my own. There's no telling what he'll do to me if you leave me with him.*

          {Master Kai will not harm you.}

          *All the same, Rei will have to come with me. If he does attack then Rei can hold him off while I put him on ice.* 

          {Freeze him and I'll burn you!} Rei gave a loud whistle, trying to break them up.

          "Hold on! Just hold on! God…you're hurting my very sensitive ears…" After calming them down Rei ran a hand through his messy hair and sighed. "All right, I'll go with Wolborg to get Kai. Dranzer, watch the others until we get back." He hopped onto Wolborg's back and sighed. "Let's get this over with." The wolf growled.

          *You got that right.* Rei's sudden change of plans caught the boys' attention. 

          "Hey Rei, where're you going?" 

          "Yea, what about Dizzi?" 

          "Don't worry, I'll be right back. I just need to get the stray cat." Rei replied in a nostalgic tone. He tugged at the wolf's fur and he trotted through the barrier. It was a flurry of purple and gray with strings of electricity zooming around. Rei clung to the soft white pelts just to make sure none of them struck him. 

          When they got through, Kai was standing near the barrier, brushing dirt and debris from his clothes. Wolborg went over to him. 

          "What?" Rei didn't make eye contact. 

          "Just get on." Kai didn't give him another look.

          "Why can't Dranzer take me through?" Rei sighed and shrugged.

          "I don't think she's strong enough to bring a human through. Maybe me or Max, but not you. Now if you want to come with us, get on." It didn't sound like he was going to discuss it any further, and since Kai was out of a ride; he grudgingly took his place behind Rei on Wolborg's back. The wolf grunted.

          *I swear you little children will be the death of me…or at least my back.* Rei patted his neck.

          "Don't worry, I promise, after this outing I won't call on you for a long while." He pawed the ground lightly and turned for the barrier.

          *Sure…can I get that in stone?* They made it through with no problems, and the bluenette hopped off immediately once they were clear of the field. Rei also got off the tired wolf quickly, massaging the back of Wolborg's furry ears.

          "Thanks for the lift, the queen shouldn't be too far away, so you can go slow if you want." The white wolf nodded but seemed eager to get going.

          *Eh I'm not that old little kitty. I can keep up.* He pressed on, passing everyone else as he paved their path. The others walked on behind him.

          "Rei, he does know where he's going, doesn't he?" Rei tilted his head.

          "I think so Kenny. Uh…just trust him, I'm pretty sure he will find the queen's throne." So they proceeded, following in Wolborg's large footprints.

          The group had been walking for about fifteen minutes now, no one really questioning Wolborg's navigational skills since none of them had any clue either. Kenny was right at the wolf's heels, his eyes darting around for any signs of his friend. Max and Tyson were behind him, talking about what they were going to do after Dizzi was saved. Rei and Kai pulled up the rear, though Rei was slightly ahead, not in a talkative mood, especially if the other person was Kai. Dranzer was sitting silently on the bluenette's shoulders, listening intently for any incoming fairies or other mythical creatures.

          Kai didn't really want to talk with Rei either, ever since he attempted to claw out his eyes, he was a little more vigilant around the half-breed. However, he needed to know how they were going to continue the lessons, if you could call what they started a lesson.

          "Rei." The boy acknowledged him, but that was it.

          "What?" Kai picked up his pace so that he was next to him.

          "I hope the little incident in the cave earlier won't deter future lessons." Rei vented his disdain silently.

          "No.it.won't." He said his words clearly and crisply, giving Kai the impression that the conversation was over.

          "So it'll be everyday, at the cave, ten to twelve."

          "Ten to eleven." Kai glanced at him.

          "Why?" He answered without looking at him.  
          "Do you honestly expect me to spend two hours in a cave with a bounty hunter?" 

          "Fine. But I'm just reminding you that the sooner you teach me the sooner I'll be out of your messy, messy hair." He flicked Rei's wrap aside and smirked when he saw the boy clenching and unclenching his fists. Taking a deep breath, Rei spoke his words before he sped up to the others.

          "Don't touch my hair again." Kai did think it was slightly uncharacteristic of Rei to leave it like that without any threats or puns, but maybe he had lost his touch.

          'Hm…either longer hours and fewer days or shorter hours and more days…well I think I rather have fewer days. And maybe next time if I bring Driger with me it won't be as bad. Yes, if I'm with Driger it's safer for both of us.' Just as Rei was about to catch up with Max and Tyson he stopped, waiting for Kai to meet him.

          "What?" He didn't have to admit that Kai was right; he just had to change his mind.

          "Maybe longer lessons would help you. It'll be ten to twelve starting tomorrow." Kai smirked and continued walking, Rei keeping his pace even with his.

          "Why not start after this little mission?" The raven-haired boy shook his head.

          "No, I have to go back with Wolborg and then I have to ask someone for advice about the lessons."

          "I thought you didn't want anyone to know about them." 

          "I don't have to mention you, I just need to ask about how it started." Kai stared at him.

          "You don't remember?" Rei rubbed his back gently. 

          "I told you I didn't. But there is someone who might. So we'll meet tomorrow." Kai nodded and noticed that the boy's back still ached from when he pinned him down earlier.

          "You should soak in some hot spring later." Rei glanced to him.

          "What?"

          "Hot water will relax your muscles and sooth your back. It helps me all the time." The younger nodded and stopped massaging the ache. "If it was hurting that much you should have said something."

          "Well I did try to get you off. It's not like I was enjoying it." Kai grinned.

          "I don't know about that." Thoughts of slapping, scratching, or somehow marring the bluenette raced through Rei's mind, but he held himself back and smirked. He tapped the older boy's temple instead and replied in a lighter tone.

          "Heh…in your dreams Kai." He caught Rei's wrist and met his golden eyes.

          "Ok, now I know something's wrong with you. That's the second time you had an opportunity to strike and you passed on it again." Rei pulled his hand away and turned away.

          "Sorry for trying to get along with you. I just figured that if we are going to spend everyday together we mine as well get on good ground…as hard as that sounds…" Kai crossed his arms in disbelief.

          "Really…" Rei nodded.

          "I might have jumped the gun about you, I apologize. You just have to understand that I don't like what you do."

          "I know, Max told me about what happened to you a few years back." Rei smiled and shook his head as he continued walking.

          "I knew he'd say something. Well then you know. However…aside from verbal hits and self-defense you haven't really tried to hurt me or Max purposely so I shouldn't have assumed that you were like the others." 

          "If that was an apology, then I accept it." Rei sighed.

          "It was. Maybe we can get along now." Kai went on.

          "You mean, start over?" As Rei thought about it the bluenette grinned. This is just what he needed, to begin again and gain Rei's trust so that he could continue with his assignment.

          "I guess so. Yea, start with a clean slate. Sounds good." Suddenly Rei stopped and turned to him, his hand held out. Kai gazed at it curiously.

          "Now what are you doing?" 

          "If we're going to start over we mine as well go right to the beginning. Robert told Max and me that introductions are important. You want to make a good first impression." Kai reluctantly brought out his hand and met with Rei's. The older boy glanced over at Rei, who seemed happy that things were starting over. The handshake was strong and firm, which was good as Rei remembered what Robert said, though that was for business deals.

          "Hi, my name is Rei." Kai sighed.

          "Do we have to go back that far?"

          "Yes." He shook his head.

          "I'm Kai." Rei smiled.

          "Nice to meet you Kai." The bluenette had to admit, when he wasn't bent on killing someone, Rei's personality was light and happy, just like Max.

          "Same here." Just as introductions were ending, a call broke the warm atmosphere.

          "Hey! What are you guys doing?! Come on! I think Wolborg found the throne!" It was Tyson. Rei and Kai met each other's gaze one more time before letting go. 

          "We better catch up to them before Tyson alerts the whole valley about us."

          "If he hasn't already." They began jogging, Dranzer flying on ahead. When they were almost there, Rei smiled as a thought popped into his head.

          "So Kai…what do you do for a living?" It took him about half a second to realize the irony behind that little question and he pushed Rei slightly.

          "Start that again and **I'll** kill you." The younger laughed as he regained his balance and picked up his pace. Tyson was wrong, Wolborg wasn't close to finding the throne, he was already there.

(I tend to drabble on with little scenes like these don't I? I wanted to get to when they free Dizzi before ending this chapter so that's what I'll do. This is going to be a long chapter, so if you need to, get refreshments and come back quickly!)

Rei raced up to the white wolf with his incredible speed, staying low as to not draw attention to himself or the others. He brushed Wolborg's fur in thanks. 

          "Good job Wolborg, you actually found them." 

          *You doubted me? I may be a little gray in the hair, but I can still track with the best of them.* 

          "Right." The rest of the group caught up with them soon enough and Max had to hold Kenny back to keep him from running out to Dizzi. She was still in her cage, talking quietly to Elle.

          "I'm telling you Elle, they'll come for me."    

          "That's why I reinforced the barrier. Even your half-breed friends won't be able to pass through it." Tyson laughed. 

          "Huh, that's what she th-omph!" The queen and Dizzi looked over to the bushes.

          "I could have sworn I heard something." Dizzi eased her worry.

          "It was probably some stray animal." As they continued talking, Rei and Kai breathed a sigh of relief. They had pulled Tyson down and covered his mouth quickly, stopping him from finishing his comment. Kai glared at him.

          "What were you thinking?! After coming this far we are not going to get discovered because of your loud mouth." Tyson pushed their hands away.

          "Ok, ok I'm sorry. I just wanted to prove her wrong."

          "Hn, careless." Max, Kenny, and Rei sighed and huddled closer, discussing the plan.

          "All right, so I'm going to bring out the deal and see if she takes it, which she probably will." Kenny spoke out…quietly.

          "What if she doesn't accept it?" 

          "I'm sure she will, unless she wants her valley to stay an ice cube." Max patted the brunette's shoulder.

          "Don't worry, if she doesn't take it then I'm sure Rei will think of something else. Right Rei?" He couldn't say no, that would just be stupid.

          "Of course." Even though he had no back up plan, he'd think one up on the spot if he had to. Right now though, it was best to ease their worries. He turned to the white wolf. "Wolborg, stay here until I call you over. If they see you right away they may try to dust you with sleeping powder and keep you under lock and key until you do what they want without accepting my deal."

          *So you want me to watch the humans…don't you?* Rei had to give the beast credit, he saw right through his well worded net.

          "Will you?"

          *I suppose…* He hugged him quickly.

          "Thanks." He gave the rest a thumbs up before getting up and walking over to the bushes. 

          "You shouldn't underestimate them Elle, those half-breeds are quite resourceful for their age."

          "So am I Dizzaria, so am I." Just when the two were in mid-conversation he stepped through and made himself known.

          "Well maybe we are just a tad more inventive then you think…my lady." Manners taught him that you must be respectful, even during times like these. Elle turned in surprise and brought her wand forward.

          "My, my, you must be Robert's other half-breed. I must say I'm shocked that passed my reinforced barrier; however, I must ask you to leave this instant." Rei walked slowly to Dizzi's cage, having no intentions of leaving without her.

          "My name is Rei, and I'm afraid I'm not leaving unless she comes with me." 

          "I will not allow it. You will only hand her back to the humans and my laws will not tolerate that." 

          "I know of your laws. That is why I have a proposition for you my lady. A deal, if you're interested." Elle lowered her wand slightly. After what Dizzi had told her, the human she called Kenny did seem like a nice person. And if Dizzi trusted him, he couldn't be that bad. A deal was very tempting to her right now.

          "I'm listening." Rei smiled.

          "I've noticed that the flowers in your valley are quite beautiful, but not as lovely as they should be. I know it's because of the layer of permafrost that sits underneath us right now. You use a lot of magic to keep the flowers from dying, but there is a solution to that."

          "Keep going."

          "As a half-breed, I've been given the power to talk to mythical creatures. With it I've made a lot of friends on this, and the other side of the mountain. On a certain occasion, I've befriended an ice wolf." He noticed the spark in Elle's eyes once he had spoken of Wolborg and continued. "He owes me a favor, and in exchange for Dizzi's freedom, I'll ask him to remove the layer of permafrost from your valley." She crossed her arms in thought. This was a very tempting offer, and since she was already willing to free Dizzi, this was perfect. She turned to face Rei.

          "Well?" Walking up to him, she tapped the wand against her hand lightly.

          "Are you positive your friend can remove the ice under my valley?" 

          "Absolutely." After another minute or two she pointed her wand at the cage and it disappeared. Dizzi hugged Rei as Elle smiled.

          "So, how soon can you call your friend here?" 

          "Right away my lady." He freed himself from Dizzi's embrace and whistled. Immediately, the white wolf jumped over the bushes and made his way to Rei. The queen was shocked again.

          "That was fast." 

          "A deal's, a deal." He called out to the others. "Come on over guys!" Kenny rushed out, practically flying over to his old friend. Max and Tyson jogged out after him and Kai slowly walked behind them.

          "Dizzi!" She quickly turned and embraced the brunette, extremely happy to see him again.

          "Kenny! I knew you would come!" He nodded enthusiastically, blowing her blonde hair out of his face.

          "After all those times you saved my Chia pet I couldn't leave you!" She frowned.

          "Don't tell me you only save me because of that." He shook his head.

          "No, no of course not! I just didn't know what to say…I'm glad to have you back." She smiled.

          "Glad to be back Chief! How did you get through the barrier?!" He adjusted his glasses (Which were messed up by all the hugging and jumping) and motioned to Rei.

          "Rei helped. Actually, he and Max did it all. They figured out that we needed to ride on a mythical creature to pass through the field. We all rode over on Wolborg." The mention of the ice wolf's name reminded Elle that he had a job to do.

          "Speaking of him, Rei can you tell him to please remove the layer of permafrost from my valley?" He laughed.

          "Right! I remember." He called the wolf over to the middle of the clearing. "Ok Wolborg, work your magic." 

          *Finally. I was beginning to think you forgot about me.* Pawing at the ground, he dug in until he could feel the ice. *All right, let's see if I still got it.* Lifting his front paws up, he slammed them into the ground. Nothing happened, except that a blue glow surrounded his body. *Ok, here we go.* He smashed into the earth repeatedly until the ice finally cracked. *Now we're talking.* With a loud roar the glow shot up slightly before traveling through his body and into the ground, lighting up the valley floor. Everyone stood back, feeling a small earthquake pulse below them. Max clung to Rei.

          "What's going on?"

          "Just hang on Max, Wolborg knows what he's doing." After spreading throughout the entire valley, the glow returned to the spot where Wolborg stood and shot straight through him. 

          *Watch your heads!* Rei blinked.

          "What?" His answer came when the ground stopped shaking and started to crack. Without much notice other than Wolborg's warning bits of ice flew up through the cracks, breaking in the air. 

          "Cover yourselves!" 

          "I got it!" Using her wand, Elle created a small shield, blacking them from the falling bits of ice. The hail ended in a few seconds, and Wolborg gave a long howl. 

          *Yup, I still got it.* He shook the ice off his body before walking over to Rei. *All right, it's over. The valley's ice free and I'm out of your debt.* Rei motioned for Elle to remove the shield and he went to the wolf.

          "That's it? It's over?"

          *See for yourself.* He pawed into the ground, and there was no ice. *I think I should have warned you about how I remove the ice huh?* Rei hit him lightly.

          "You think!?" He sighed and let it go. "Thanks Wolborg." The wolf shook his head.

          *No thanks need little kitty; it was nice doing something like that again. But if you don't mind, I think I'll go now. Falborg is probably wondering what happened to me.* 

          "Oh yea, you were supposed to see him weren't you?" 

          *Yes, but it's ok, he can wait.* Rei hugged him around the neck and stroked his fur.

          "I'll be back soon too, but I need to wrap things up here first." He nudged his side playfully.

          *And visit more often, it's nice when you come without favors to ask.* Rei nodded.

          "Right." With that Wolborg turned and sprinted through the valley, disappearing in seconds. Max flew to him.

          "He's going already?" Rei turned to him.

          "Yup, but if we have time later I can bring you to the summit to see him." 

          "Ok…but without him, how are we going to get through the barrier?" 

          "Uh…" Elle waved to them, getting their attention.

          "Don't worry. I'll remove the extra magic so that you can pass through. I must warn you though, once you leave you'll have to have a mythical creature with you in order to return." Rei nodded.

          "Thanks Elle." She shook her head.

          "I should be thanking you and your wolf for taking the permafrost away. Now the flowers can grown naturally and we don't have to use so much magic." 

          "No problem." The queen then turned to face Dizzi, who was still next to Kenny.

          "Well Dizzaria, as per the agreement, you are allowed to go with the humans. But, I do hope that you'll come back once and a while. We did miss you." She left Kenny's side and hugged her.

          "I'll be back soon. You don't have to worry about that." 

          "Then I suppose you all should be off." They separated and shared a smile.

          "Thanks for freeing me from the laptop Elle." She pointed to the machine Kenny was holding.

          "That dreadful thing? It was your own curiosity that got you in there De, I hope you've learned your lesson."

          "I have. Trust me, I'm not going near it ever again." They turned to leave, waving to the queen as they walked deeper into the valley. "Good bye Elle!"

          "See you soon Dizzaria! See you soon!" 

~*~

Once they had passed through the barrier, they noticed it had returned. Dizzi stretched her wings and sighed. "It's good to be free again that's for sure! Um, Chief, are we going back now?"

          "I guess so, do you have anything you need to do Tyson?" The blue-haired boy thought about it.

          "I don't know. We could always hang around here for a while. You know, exploring other areas and stuff." Rei looked to the mountain.

          "I don't know about you Max, but I'm going to go back. I have to ask someone about something." 

          "Who and what?" He ruffled his fluffy blonde hair.

          "Nothing you need to worry about. So you can stay with Tyson and Kenny if you want. Just be back before Robert does. Remember, he said that he needs to talk to us about something." Max nodded.

          "All right." 

          "You're going already Rei?" 

          "Yea, sorry Tyson, but we can get together another day." Tyson, Kenny, and Dizzi nodded as Rei walked off to the waterfall. The group then thought of where to go next.

          "Where should we go now?" 

          "Somewhere close by so that I can't get back if I see Robert coming." Kenny turned to his fairy.

          "Dizzi, do you know any place close?" She looked around and shrugged.

          "Usually you'll find someplace nice if you just walk around."

          "Sounds good, we'll just stay along the mountain side then. Come on, let's go!" 

          "Tyson wait." He turned around to face Max.

          "What?" The blonde flew up and scanned the area. "What is it Max?"

          "Where did Kai go?" 

~*~

          Just as Rei was about to jump into the waterfall a streak of red caught his eyes. "Dranzer?" He followed her until his gaze landed on Kai. "Kai. What are you doing here?" The bluenette held out his hand and let the phoenix perch of it. Then he walked over to the confused boy.

          "I just figured that I should spend my time doing something a little more constructive. I'm coming with you." 

          "What? Why?" He stroked Dranzer's plumage gently.

          "I think that hearing how you first spoke to a mythical creature first-hand might help me learn." Rei tried to reason him out of it.

          "But you won't even be able to understand what we're saying. Besides, I was going to ask Grypholyion and if he saw you it would only make things a lot worse." Kai waved away his worries.

          "I didn't become an experienced bounty hunter from standing in the open. I know how to blend it. And while I'm there I can get an estimate of how many animals of each species is left." Rei shook his head.

          "You're asking to be hurt. The Umber Wood creatures on my side of the mountain aren't like the ones you see here. They'll attack any human they see, even if Dranzer is there to protect you. Believe me Kai just wait for me tomorrow. I'll come."

          "I know you will, but this is an opportunity I can't pass up. If I come with you now that giant turtle won't try to flatten me." His hard stare bore into Rei's golden eyes. The half-breed rubbed his shoulder absentmindedly, his confidence about keeping Kai out dropping.

          "I don't know about this." Kai stepped closer to him.

          "I know how to take care of myself Rei, you don't have to worry about me. Besides, we started over…don't you trust me?"  This was it, if Rei let him come then he had gained some of his trust, and he would have gotten through the first part of his plan. If Rei didn't, he'd have to go slower, which would not make Tala happy.

          Rei thought it over, thinking about the consequences of his action. It took him a few minutes before he looked up at Kai again, an answer in his mind.

          "So, are we going Rei?" 

~*~*~*~

(1) Ok, his eyes were either a piercing blue or a striking red…

(2) Wolborg calls him 'mismatch' because, as you know, a griffin is a combination of different animals.

(3) Wolborg sees the marks on his face for the traits of an animal like the ones Max has. He knows that Kai's a human, but he assumes he wants to be a half-breed. 

SS-That's not a cliffie is it? No, of course not! *hides behind Wolborg* I'm sorry if it is to you, and I'm extra sorry because I can't even begin typing the next chapter until the 19th. I have finals this week and I really need to study! Plus I'm going to be away visiting relatives over the weekend so I will be computer-less. 

          Don't worry though! I have the idea in my head, I know what the answer is, and I'll write (Pencil and paper) parts of it out when I'm done with one final in class. Argh! I better start studying, sorry again, tootles!

Tym-O.O Don't look at me, I'm not writing the chapter for her. I don't have the diligence. Please review! I'll remind her to bring her notebook with her over the weekend so she can write. Ashes! 


	8. Glimpses of yellow

SS-Hi everyone. Hope you've all been well. I know this is _incredibly_ late, and I offer my biggest apologies, I'm so sorry for the long-put-off-ness! 

Tym-*ahem* Story…?

SS-I know. Thank you everyone for your nice reviews! I'll skip the individual thanks since this chapter has been put way back, but next time I'll start with it. Cookies for everyone as part of my sorries! I don't know how long I'll make this chappie, so enjoy the munchies.

Tym-Yea…that also means we're beginning.

~*~*~*~

Loving Legends

Chapter 7 – Glimpses of yellow

Disclaimer: See prologue or the previous chapter please!

#**notes**# 

(+) Remember this is Grypholyion (+)

~This is Dragoon…yup, he's back~

Here's a new one, sorry if it's too much to keep track of…they aren't extremely important, they just help differentiate between all the characters 

~*~*~*~

Rei thought it over, thinking about the consequences of his action. It took him a few minutes before he looked up at Kai again, an answer in his mind.

            "So, are we going Rei?" The raven-haired boy met his gaze and then turned away, jumping into the water without a word. Kai cursed rather loudly, causing Dranzer to jump. 

            {Master Kai?}

            "Damn that half-"

            "What did you say Kai?" Glancing down, the bluenette noticed Rei hadn't crossed over yet. He was wading in the lake, waiting patiently.

            "Why are you still here?" Rei gave him a funny expression.

            "I'm waiting for you to follow me. Unless you want Draciel to crush as you cross that is." He turned around. "Hurry up, I want to have a good ten minutes with Grypholyion before Robert comes back. He should be here soon." With that, he went under, swimming towards the hole in the mountain. Smirking, Kai lifted his arm up, telling Dranzer to get off him. He whistled a string of notes.

            "Meet you on the other side Dranz." She chirped, and began flapping her wings a little harder, ascending the large mountain. Kai dove in, catching up to Rei so that the turtle wouldn't try to harm him again. Once he surfaced, he spotted Rei on land already, quickly shaking the water of off him. The bluenette had to admit, he did look different when his hair was matted down and his normally loose clothes clung to his body. Although the thought never actually registered in his mind, it was a good different.

            "Better get out of there Kai. Draciel is coming in." Out of the corner of his eye, Kai did notice the giant turtle making its way over to the lake, so he lifted himself out of the cool water and shook his head. Dranzer came down shortly after, landing beside the bluenette. 

            "Looks like Dranzer is ready, lets go." Brushing his bangs away, Kai held his hand out to Dranzer, who happily complied and hopped onto the boy's wrist. He followed Rei, keeping his eyes open for any new creature or anything interesting. 

This side of the mountain was pretty similar to his side, except that it was completely untouched by human hands. There were definitely more trees, aside from the clearing by the lake, it seemed like they were walking through a see of green. Kai was aware that they were taking a more secluded route, as the deeper they went, the fewer animals he saw. 

            'He probably doesn't want to draw any attention to me.' He didn't know just how vicious the animals on this side of the mountain were, but if Rei was indeed truthful, he shouldn't wander off to find out. However, Dranzer was with him, and Kai's natural sense of wonder drove him to go against the raven-haired boy's warnings. 

            'I'll have to do it later, when he's talking to the griffin. Then I can really look around.' Turning his eyes back to the road, Kai looked up to see a rather large ledge protruding out of the side of the mountain. He wasn't sure, but the bluenette had a feeling that a cave was there. After a few more seconds, Rei stopped and glanced over at him.

            "This is where you hide." He jumped up to a branch of a tree and from there crossed over to a small ledge, which seemed to lead to the cave. "If you go any closer I'm sure Grypholyion will smell you. If Robert comes you better get out of sight." He scanned the area. "Um…I don't think he'll search the forest, so as long as you are invisible to him, you should be alright." With that done, Rei skillfully ran across the ledge over to the mouth of the cave. Once completely out of sight, Kai smirked and began walking off.

            "Come Dranzer, lets see what this side of the Umber Wood has to offer." She merely hopped over to his shoulder and chirped. There wasn't much she could do except stay alert, because even though she couldn't under stand Kai, Dranzer knew he was going to explore. This was her old home, and the other animals her old comrades, if they were the same as before, she'd have to be vigilant.

~*~

            Peering into the mouth of the cave, Rei cautiously walked into the increasing darkness. Though the griffin would be able to identify him by his scent, the boy didn't want to make too much noise incase he was sleeping. He kept his hand on the cave wall, not wanting to accidentally bump into the massive creature. Grypholyion always slept in the middle of the cave, and even though he could see pretty well in the dark, Rei really didn't want to take chances…especially since he was asking the griffin for a favor. 

            'Wow, I didn't think Grypholyion would be this far back.' Glancing over his shoulder Rei sighed as the light from outside grew smaller and smaller. 'Kai won't be able to hear anything, not to mention he can't even understand what we're saying. Brining him in here was probably one of the biggest mistakes I've ever made. So why did I?' 

(+) Rei, what are you doing in here? (+) The boy stopped and gasped. Scanning the area ahead of him, he squinted into the darkness. 

            "Uh…Grypholyion?" 

            (+) I'm on the right. (+) Yup, there he was. The creature was laying a little off to the right, just a few yards from Rei. (+) What are you doing in here? (+) It came as more of a command, but a gentle one from the tone of voice. Rei slowly made his way over and sat down in front of him, patting one of the griffin's large claws.

            "I just wanted to ask you something." He nodded.

            (+) What would that be? (+) Stalling or anything of the sort wouldn't be very helpful, so he went straight to the point. 

            "I wanted to know when I started talking to other mythical creatures." Since it was rather dark, Rei couldn't tell what expression crossed Grypholyion's face so he continued. "It's…purely out of curiosity. I was talking to Wolborg earlier and the thought popped into my head. I don't think Max would know and Robert isn't here, so I wanted to know if you knew. I mean, you did watch over me when I was younger." There was a pause, and for a moment Rei thought that he wasn't going to answer.

            (+) The exact date doesn't come to my mind young one, but I believe it was the day when I brought you to see the unicorns on the far mountain. (+) Rei looked up to him…or where he thought the beast's head was.

            "You mean the first creature I talked to was a unicorn? I thought the first creature I talked to was you." 

            (+) You spoke to me, but I didn't know what you were saying. We didn't have a connection like the one I have with Robert, so all I heard was mumbling. I don't believe you realized your gift until you saw the unicorns. (+)

            "So until I actually knew about my gift I couldn't use it?"

            (+) It was many years ago Rei, you were just a little thing. Your ability probably should have remained dormant in you for much longer had it not been for the powers of the unicorns. (+) Rei thought about that and tried to connect the dots.

            "Like how Driger has power over earth and Draciel controls water?" He wasn't sure, but the boy assumed Grypholyion nodded. "So the unicorns have control over…speech?"

            (+) I'd guess they are more like amplifiers, awakening and nurturing one's own unique abilities. You do know that like anything else, your gift for communicating has grown and improved over time don't you? (+) Rei nodded. (+) So bringing you into close contact with the unicorns must have brought about your speech. Yes, it was one of the leading unicorns that did it. What was her name…uh…Unicolyion. That's right, it was Unicolyion. I remember now, I corresponded with her prior to the war, one of my acquaintances. Yes, she came to greet me and that's when you jumped off my back and ran over to her. Taking to you quickly, you must have been fascinated by her spiral horn and touched it. That contact and Unicolyion's natural aura of magic probably sparked your power and caused you to speak. (+) Rei took it all in slowly, racking his brain for any memory of Unicolyion…or any unicorn for that matter.

            "And then I…talked to her, right? That's when you noticed that I talked to creatures isn't it?"

(+) Actually, I didn't know what you were doing since you were in that mumbling stage. Unicolyion alerted me to your ability and that's when I knew. On the way back you wouldn't shut your mouth. You must have been amazed by this new aptitude and milked it for all its worth as if it was going to disappear the next day. Now that I think about it…I don't know if that was a good day or a bad one. (+) Rei hit the griffin's claw playfully and smiled.

"So that's how it started. It was because of Unicolyion…"

(+) I'm sure your gift would have come later on had I not brought you there. (+)

"I know, it's just nice to know how it all began." Glad that he had gathered the information he needed, Rei thought about going back to Kai. Hm…now that he thought about it, this information wouldn't help much. According to Grypholyion, Unicolyion awakened this ability. Even though Kai probably has the capability of speaking to creatures, what could he do about it, bring him to a unicorn? No, this wouldn't work at all. The visit was a dead end. 

It wouldn't take too long to get to the unicorns' home if Grypholyion flew them, but that was an obvious no. Max wasn't strong enough to do it either, and Rei didn't know the way to the far mountain where the unicorns lived. 

(+) Rei, are you all right? (+) Feeling the tap on his shoulder, Rei nodded and lightly drummed his fingers on Grypholyion's claw.

"I'm fine. Just thinking." He got up and brushed his clothes off, turning towards the exit. "Thank you for telling me all of this Grypholyion, I really appreciate it." The mighty griffin shook his head and got up as well, stretching his neck.

(+) The enjoyment was mutual. Reminiscing is pleasing, especially to that period of time. A time when you weren't quite as mischievous. (+) They began walking towards the bright light, Rei keeping his hand on the griffin's soft coat to make sure he didn't lose him. 

"I'm sure they were boring days. Say, you didn't have to walk me out. I think I could have managed." 

(+) The world doesn't revolve around you young one. Robert is returning soon. I can sense him. (+) Rei retained a gasp, though his words expressed his emotion.

"You mean he's here already?!"

(+) No, I believe he's on his way. He is probably walking into the forest on the other side of our mountain. (+) Thoughts raced through Rei's head as he tried to order everything.

'I got to get Kai out, I have to find a way to signal Max so that he can get back in…or at least stay out of Robert's sight until I can get him. Now I need a messenger. Driger? No, I can't let him go to the other side. Draciel can't fit through the hole in the lake…Wolborg; uh…I can't ask another favor already can I? Damn, I couldn't anyway; he's at Falborg's nest. Who does that leave?' A gentle breeze blew past them as the two reached the end of the cave, now walking out onto the ledge.

(+) You should get Max; remember that Robert has something important to tell you two. (+) Rei nodded, not fully comprehending what he was just told to do.

'Ok, think! Dranzer? No, that'll take too long. By the time I find where Kai's hiding and tell Dranzer to warn Max, Robert might have seen him. Who does that leave?' Another gust blew his bangs into his eyes. He growled slightly as he brushed them away and then smiled with relief as he gazed up.

"Dragoon!" 

~*~ (Back track…after Rei had entered the cave…)

            Kai glanced around; so far he hadn't seen anything besides trees. The trail Rei had taken must have been more secluded than he originally thought. 'I wonder if Dranzer recognizes any of this. We must be somewhere near her home since there are so many loose red feathers on the ground.' Looking up for signs of other phoenixes, he sighed. 'Or maybe not.' Dranzer was getting restless too; she could feel the presence of other birds but was torn between going off to find them and staying with Kai. She let out a screech, hoping someone would answer her call. Kai stroked her folded wings.

            "Just a bit further Dranz, then we'll go back." Suddenly a low pitch call reached the phoenix. She turned towards the direction of the call.

            {Can it be?} Hopping off Kai's shoulder, Dranzer took flight, cutting through the trees as if they weren't even there. He snapped his head towards the same direction, a confused expression on his face. 

            "Dranzer!?" In an instant the bluenette ran after her; she never left him without a warning or command and this behavior worried him slightly. 

            {Is that you?!} She kept chirping, gaining some height as she flew. The responding screeches were getting louder, so she increased her speed. A small clearing was coming up, and it did seem vaguely familiar. It was probably an old meeting area. When she was about five feet away, Dranzer shot up, hovering before the spot. It was just an old tree, tall and barely greening. No one or thing was there. 

            {Hello?} She scanned the land, it looked like some birds were just here, but where did they go? {Ah!} Feeling something hit her left wing, Dranzer dropped and flew away, coming back up two or three yards later to see who had attacked her. {Who's there?!} Appearing from the cover of the neighboring trees was a rather large eagle. Goldenrod in color and slightly bigger than the phoenix he flapped his wings slowly, as if analyzing her.

            …Dranzer? Spitting out some fire, she flew over to him and starred him down.

            {Who the hell are you, and why did you hit me?!} She asked indignantly. He bypassed her and landed on one of the limbs of the tree. He motioned for her to join him, but she merely closed the distance.

            It's been a long time. You still have that attitude, but your vigilance has dropped some. She huffed, torn between anger from the insult and confusion from the partially welcoming manner. 

            {You are in no position to judge me. I don't even know who you are.} The male looked slightly hurt.

            It's me you firefly, Trygle. Dranzer blinked once, then twice and the name finally registered in her mind. 

            {Trygle…} She echoed. With a light chirp she rammed him playfully and nodded. {Now I remember! We always sparred here in the afternoons when the other birds left to eat.} Now that her memory had returned, the eagle got off the branch and flew up, glad that she followed him.

            I was beginning to worry about you. After all those years of training and you forget me after a year or two? 

            {I'm afraid it's been longer than one or two years. And I'm sorry, but when I left it was like I left some of my memories behind.} She glanced at the tree and its surrounding area. {This place was only familiar to me until I remembered you. Now everything is coming back.}

Living on the other side of the mountain does that to you I suppose. She nodded. I still can't believe you were caught. When Amphilyion told me I thought he was joking, but when I couldn't find you… He batted her gently. You actually made me worry. And you know I never worry. 

{Sorry.} He shook his head.

Ah it's ok. None of that matters anymore anyway. You escaped! I knew you would. I just didn't think it would take this long. That human must have kept you on some leash. She lost some altitude and landed on one of the top branches. Trygle tilted his head and perched next to her. Hey, I didn't mean to bring up bad memories. Don't worry; if we stick together and you stay on this side of the mountain, no human will ever get within ten feet of you ever again. Dranzer tossed her head and looked down, remembering that she had left Kai behind.

{About that…}

Uh huh?  

{I never left him…} He starred at her.

What?! He asked incredulously. 

"Dranzer!" Turning her attention to the floor, a spot of blue caught her eye. 

{Master Kai.} Trygle almost fell off the branch.

Master?! Dranzer please tell me he followed you because you escaped. Glancing at him with an apologetic smile, the phoenix dove down to the boy, closely followed by the shocked eagle.

"Dranzer, there you are." Upon seeing his companion, he held out his arm, letting her land on it. "Why did you rush off like that?" Before she could give a chirp, Trygle was on him, screeching and knocking him with his wings as best he could without hitting his friend. "What the hell?!" 

{Trygle stop!} Flying off Kai's hand, Dranzer rammed Trygle towards the tree, holding him back with her talons. {Stop! Please stop!} As Dranzer tried to ease him, Kai went for the more direct approach, reaching for the rope and net that hung on his belt. Quickly tying one end of the rope to the net, he walked up to the two cautiously, intent on capturing the golden eagle. 

Dranzer stop it! We're not sparring! 

{I need to explain it to you, stop fighting me and I'll stop!} Hearing Kai whistle to her, she glanced over her shoulder. He was going to net Trygle. Unfortunately she was confused between talking to Trygle and listening to Kai's orders that she forgot to move away, and the mesh was thrown. 

Man you're reflexes are gone Dranzer! Knocking her out of the way, the webbing fell on top of him. The metal weights on the corners pulled him down, and he was trapped. Damn it! Biting against the bitter rope, Trygle struggled to break through the collapsing cage, failing miserably. 

"Got you." Pulling on the string that was tied to the net, Kai was going to reel him in, until Dranzer bit the line, snapping the rope. "Dranzer, what are you doing?!" She went straight to her friend, deaf to the bluenette's orders. 

{Hold still this might get hot.} To the best of his abilities, Trygle held still as the phoenix nipped a part of the net and tugged at it. She knew exactly how the trap worked and how to break it down. Intense heat or a very strong blade were the only ways to open it, so she blew flames on it as she pulled against it, letting the heat travel to the other strands of rope.

"Dranzer stop now!" Flapping rapidly, the phoenix gave the net one last wrench, tearing a hole large enough for Trygle to work with. Now that there was a gap, he was able to squeeze through and get out, soaring high into the air with a loud screech. Meeting the phoenix he acknowledged the help.

Thanks Dranzer. Looks like you still got it. She spit out the piece of net that she had torn off and chirped.

{It'll take more than a new home to drive the skill out of me Trygle.} Glancing down, she saw Kai pick up the net and stare up at her. His cold, mahogany eyes drilled into her. The joy she felt quickly disappeared. Her friend patted her. 

Come on; let's get out of here before he pulls out a gun or something. Nipping at his thick feathers, she stopped him as he began to fly away. 

{Wait. I told you I'd explain something to you, and it's about Master Kai.} The eagle looked at her dejectedly. 

Master? So I guess you're still caged. 

{Not as much as you would think.} She flew down a little, waiting for him to follow. {Trygle…} Grudgingly, he trailed her, hovering near Kai as she perched on his shoulder.

"I'd like to know what just happened here Dranz. Hopefully I won't forget to ask Rei to talk to you about it." He eyed the golden eagle suspiciously. It followed his gaze and every movement. "I assume this is…a friend?" Dranzer chirped. "Hn." With nothing more than a second glance, Kai began walking back to the cave. Trygle followed at a distance; he wasn't about to let his sparring partner go off with a human. 

~*~

            ~Man, Rei you make me do everything… ~ Dragoon whined. Rei had asked another favor of him and the blue dragon was hesitant about it.

            "But Max is with humans…it's your job to protect him." The creature shook his head as he hovered in the air.

            ~No, my job is to protect my section of the Umber Woods from humans. It's not my problem if your friend wanders off with the wrong crowd.~ The raven-haired boy shook his head and sighed. He was just thankful that Grypholyion had gone back in the cave and couldn't hear their little discussion. Not that he could, they were speaking dragon, but he couldn't be too sure.

            "It's not like there's much to protect right now! All I want you to do is tell Max to come back. He's a small yellow puff from your bird's eye view, I'm sure you can find him in no time." Dragoon tilted his head, his resolve breaking. 

            ~Un…I don't know…~ 

            "Please? This will be the last favor, I swear!" Dragoon listened intently, the boy did sound sincere. He let his shoulders slump.

            ~Fine…~ Rei smiled and bowed his head in gratitude.

            "Thank you Dragoon…thanks." 

            ~Yeah, yeah…let me go before I change my mind. ~ The blue dragoon flew up and headed for the other side of the mountain, a little slow in flight, but he was going all the same. Rei ran a hand through his hair and started down the side of the cliff, heading back to the spot where he had left Kai. He was a bit disappointed in himself, not only had he failed to get the information that he needed, but he had brought Kai in as well.

            'At least we're making good time.' By the time he made it to the tree he had used earlier, his golden eyes scanned the area for the bluenette. He wasn't there. Rei hopped to the ground and flicked his tail while his ears twitched. 'Why am I not entirely surprised?.' Picking up the sound of footsteps coming from his right, Rei turned and crossed his arms, an annoyed expression crossing his face. Kai was coming; taking his time even though he could tell the half-breed was thoroughly pissed at his absence. 

            'He should have known I wouldn't pass up the chance to explore, I am a hunter after all.' When Kai was a few feet from Rei, he stopped and glanced at the cave.

            "So, what did you learn from your little chat?" Keeping his cool, Rei tilted his head away from his slightly. Of course he was angry, what if Robert had come back and found him? He wasn't sure what the older half-breed would have done to Kai, but he would be stuck in the cave for a long time with Grypholyion as his keeper. Rei's efforts to keep his appearance neutral of emotions failed though. He didn't say anything, but his ears twitched, his claws began to show, and his incisors were showing. And those weren't signs of jubilance. 

            "A bit ticked off are we?" Turning away from him completely, Rei began leading him back to the waterfall. 

            "If I ever offer to bring you in here again, just do me a favor and hit me…hard." Kai smirked.

            "I'll remember that." That comment sparked something in his head. "Rei, can you talk to Dranz for me?" He glanced over his shoulder.

            "Why?" Once they arrived at the clearing Kai began to explain.

            "When you were talking with your friend, Dranzer flew off into the forest. When I found her, I found this," He motioned to the golden eagle that was still flying near him. "This was with her. So can you translate the situation for me?" Finally noticing the tag-a-long. He blinked.

            "Trygle?" He flew over and rested on Rei's shoulder. "What are you doing here?" His gaze moved from him to Dranzer. "You two know each other?"

            She's my sparring partner. At least she was until that human captured her. That was interesting to know.

            "Oh, and you sensed her when she was nearby, right?" He nodded.

            Her scent is pretty unique…to me anyway. She said that she's not as caged as I think and I don't get what she means. Rei narrowed his eyes in thought.

            "Not as caged as you think?" Since they were talking about her, Dranzer flew from Kai and landed on Rei's other shoulder. The boy suddenly felt very crowded.

            {What are you guys saying about me?}

            "Nothing. Trygle is just wondering what you meant by 'not as caged as you think'. Care to enlighten us?"  He tried to shift his weight to his other foot, but the two birds were beginning to get really heavy.

            {I merely meant that unlike Master Kai's other-}

            Hmph…master… She smacked him with the end of her long tail and continued.

            {Unlike Master Kai's other captures, I'm allowed to come and go as I please.}

            …So? 

            {So, there's nothing holding me back. I could leave anytime I wanted and never come back.} 

            Then why don't you? By now, Rei's knees were beginning to give out. As the two discussed her 'freedom', they pretty much had forgotten all about him.

            {Because I don't want to! I like being with Master Kai!}

            What's so great about humans? Rei forgot his ache for a second.

            "Hey! Trygle watch what you say, I am half human after all." He seemed to ignore the boy's comment.

            {I don't want to argue with you Trygle. You don't have to stay with Master Kai; after all, you live here.} The aching feeling returned to his knees and legs, and the raven-haired boy began to fall from the weight.

            Well the only kind of fighting I like doing with you is sparring so don't think this is a picnic for me either. I just think that you should reconsider staying with the human. A bit lower.

            {Even if you're looking out for me, I don't need you too. I'm staying with…huh?} Before she could finish, she and Trygle noticed that their elevation had dropped. Their combined weight had brought Rei to the floor. Dranzer hopped off, a tinge of blush rising to her face. {I'm sorry Rei-neko, I almost forgot about you.} Trygle got off his shoulder as well, making his way to Dranzer's side.

            Oh, sorry Rei. I thought you'd be able to hold us. The boy sighed and rubbed his shoulder.

            "It's ok, I'm used to being a perch." At that point Kai walked over and glanced down at him.

            "So what's the story?" Rei tilted his head towards the two.

            "Seems Trygle and Dranzer were sparring partners and good friends before you captured her and brought her to your side of the Umber Woods. When you started wandering off, he recognized her scent and called to her. Then you showed up…and well, you know what happened after that." 

            "Ok, and now he wants her to stay?" He nodded.

            "Basically that's what he's trying to convince her to do right now." Kai did notice that his phoenix was chirping or communicating with the eagle, but it didn't seem like she was backing down. 

            "Guess I have nothing to worry about then." He held out his hand to Rei, who eyed it. "Do you want my help or do you intend to stay on the ground?" The half-breed accepted the bluenette's help, reluctantly though. He was still getting used to the 'new start' concept. Oddly enough, once he was on his feet again, Rei didn't let go right away. 

            'We started over, that's why he's being nice. That's the only reason.' 

            Hey Rei, don't tell me you're taking a liking to humans now too? The raven-haired boy turned to Trygle, who was referring to their clasped hands. As a light blush spread across his cheeks, Rei let go of Kai's gloved hand.

            "Trygle, do you realize that I'm half human?! How can I not like humans?" The eagle shrugged, if it were possible.

            I don't know. There are some really annoying falcons and hawks that I don't like. And your tail makes me forget about your human part. 

            "Try looking at my face then." Rei then returned his attention to Kai; getting back to the original reason why the bluenette was even here. "Sorry that this was a dead end. Grypholyion didn't have what I was looking for." The bluenette didn't respond. "Kai?" He nudged him until his ruby eyes locked onto Rei's golden ones. "Are you listening?"

            "I'm…" His gaze tore from the half-breed and landed on Trygle, who stared at him. "He…he thinks you like me? Uh, humans I mean…" Rei shifted his gaze to the ground and swung his furry tail side to side. 

            "Yeah, apparently holding hands to him means that I-wait…how did you…?" Kai shook his head.

            "I don't know. It was a little faint, but I'm certain that I understood what that pigeon said." Rei rubbed his shoulder and sighed.

            "But you've never even met Trygle. And you've known Dranzer for a long time, how can you understand him and not her?"

~*~ Meanwhile…

            "How about a distant cousin?" 

            "No, she doesn't look anything like you."

            "A cousin twice-removed?"

            "What's that mean?"

            "A good friend who just came into town?"

            "How would that explain the wings and everything?"

            "…Darn it…" Tyson, Kenny, Max and Dizzi were sitting in a small circle near the waterfall. When Max started comparing his wings to hers about ten minutes ago, it reminded Kenny that they had to come up with a story for her. Most of the ideas they thought of were good, but none would explain her fairy accessories. 

            Max leaned on his palm. "Can't you use your magic to make them and the markings on your skin disappear?" She shook her head.

            "They are reminders of who we are. Elle made them permanent after the war so that nobody would mistake each other for a human." Tyson took off his hat and fanned himself with it.

            "Then why don't we go back to Elle and tell her to take them away for us?"

            "I don't know if she'll approve of that. She was already a bit hesitant to let me leave you know. I don't think she'll be too happy if I become really human and lose my fairy markings." Kenny went back to his laptop, typing in everything she said for future reference.

            "Well we can't go back without thinking of something. I know Emily is going to suspect something if I bring a girl home without an alibi." Tyson agreed. That girl didn't let anything go unquestioned, especially if it was something out of the ordinary, which was basically everything in this village.

            "Um…how about a cousin who has tattoos and likes the Umber Woods so much that she dresses up like a fairy?" The three stared at Tyson with that 'you must be crazy' look and quickly dismissed the idea.

            "She could stay with me and Rei and Robert and wait until you come to visit during the day." The blonde suggested, but Kenny didn't like it.

            "If that was ok then we wouldn't have had to go through all the trouble with Elle. Uh, there must be something…" 

            ~Little wing human!~ Everyone blinked and started looking around. The sound caught their ears for a second, and then vanished. 

            "Everyone heard that, right?" 

            "I think so Tyson, but what was it?" Max flew up with Dizzi.

            "It sounded like a mythical creature. Do you know which Dizzi?" Her confused expression was answer enough. 

            "No clue." 

            "Must be a flying one-ah! Dizzi!!" Two claws dug into his shirt and began pulling Max away. 

            "Max!" The fairy quickly helped him and grabbed the frantic boy's hands. "Hang on! Tyson, Kenny, It's a dragon!" The two boys quickly gazed up and spotted a blue dragon trying to haul Max away as he and Dizzi beated their wings desperately. 

            ~Kid, stop it! Your feathers are gonna make me sneeze!~ Sure enough, the soft feathers brushing against Dragoon's nose caused him to scrunch up his snout and breath in until he couldn't hold it in anymore. ~Ah…ah…ahcoo!!!!~ He lost his grip and both Max and Dizzi flew back, falling into the canopy of the Umber Woods. Tyson's eyes widened. 

            "Maxie! Dizzi!" Their friends rushed over to them, trying to find where they landed. 

            "Dizzi! Max, where are you guys?!" They checked the branches and in the thick leaves for any signs of blue or yellow.

            "Ugh…over here Tyson…" Turning to his left the blue-haired boy let a sigh of relief as he spotted them…followed by fits of laughter. 

            "Th-There you guys…there you guys are…hahaha!" A stray tree branch had caught the flying duo in its stiff embrace. Dizzi was leaning against the trunk rubbing the back of her head while making sure her dress wasn't torn and open. Spots of leaves adorned her face and stuck out of her now messy hair as well. Max was on his stomach, his hands and legs hanging freely over the side of the branch. It didn't look comfortable at all. His wings were still up, with pieces of greenery turning them a light shade of olive. 

            Seeing as Tyson was too busy in his humor, Kenny asked if they were hurt. "Are you two all right?" Blowing some of his hair out of his eyes, Max groaned.

            "I guess…" The brunette then questioned his fairy friend, who was picking the leaves from her hair.

            "You ok Dizzi?" She sighed. 

            "I've definitely been better Chief." He nodded, glad that they weren't injured from the force of the fall or the impact of the harsh landing. The little angel took a deep breath and carefully sat up on the branch, checking for any wounds. 

            "I wonder why that dragon was trying to pull me back to the other side." Max asked. Dizzi shrugged and began removing the green pieces from the boy's wings.

            "Don't know, do you know him by chance?" Max thought back, he did look a little familiar.

            "Well, I don't know that many dragons. Oh! It might have been the same one that caused the small explosion a while ago. Still…why would it want me?" Another shrug. 

            "I wish I knew. The little dragon seemed very determined." Finally recovering from his laughter, Tyson smirked and motioned them to come down.

            "If you guys are ok then come back down already! Kenny and I will help clean you two up!" The blonde glanced down at them.

            "Ok we're coming." Flapping his wings experimentally, Max smiled when everything seemed fine. 'Good, they weren't damaged.' He jumped from the branch and slowly came down, that is, until he spotted a smidge of purple from the corner of his eye. 'What? No, it couldn't be…' The dot grew bigger and he gasped, his eyes widening considerably. "I got to go guys, hurry, get back to the village, but don't let him see you!" With that, he took off in the direction they had come from, towards the waterfall. He drove himself faster, if Robert caught him now he and Rei would get in a lot of trouble. He hardly noticed anything near him as he started up the mountain, but a bright flash caught his eye. Normally he'd stop and check to see what it was, but he ignored it this time and continued his ascent. 

            Tyson and Kenny watched their blonde friend disappear. "Maxie, where are going?!" The brunette yanked his shirt. "What?!"

            "Someone's coming! Let's go!" Tyson, Kenny, and Dizzi hid behind some nearby bushes as they waited for the person to pass.

            "Chief, why are we hiding? It's probably just some hunter from the village." He whispered.

            "Max told us not to let him see us, and if he's afraid of this person, don't you think we should be too?" Tyson shrugged.

            "I don't know." Dizzi shushed them both.

            "Quiet boys, he's coming!" They sunk lower, the sound of the footsteps becoming louder, and then disappearing in a matter of seconds. Tyson was the first to look.

            "Who do you think that was?" Once the coast was clear, Kenny and Dizzi poked their heads out too.

            "Think that was Robert?" The name rung a bell. 

            "Robert as in that person that works at the university you and Emily always go to?"

            "I think so Dizzi." They all got out from their hiding place and began walking back to the village.

            "Wait a minute, didn't Max say he was a half-breed too?"

            "Yeah, and…?"

            "I thought Maxie said that he could fly too. So why wasn't he?" Dizzi answered for him.

            "I can fly too Tyson, but I'm not right now. Just because we have wings doesn't mean that we have to fly all the time." He thought about it and though it made sense, he countered it with an effective:  

            "…I would."

~*~

            While Kai and Rei thought about the bluenette's sudden ability a rough wind descended upon them. Everyone (Including the two birds) covered their eyes, waiting for the sand to blow away.

            "Who's there?!" Kai called out. Rei instantly covered his mouth, what if it was Robert?! The older boy pushed his hand away and stared at him. "What was that for-" Before he knew it, Rei was pushing him to the lake until… *Splash*

            "Rei what the hell do you-" Kai was surprised again when the raven-haired boy joined him and forced him down until his nose was barely above the water. 

            "Keep quiet…" The sand and dust had finally settled down, and Rei scanned for signs of Robert. 'Now where is he?'

            ~Rei!~ 

            "What?" Looking straight ahead of him, Rei was eye to eye with an angry dragon. "Dragoon…" He let out the breath he was holding. "It's just you…hold on." Wrapping his arm around Kai's, he helped the boy up. They stood in the lake, Rei with a sheepish grin on his face, and Kai with a look of impatience. "I'm…very, very sorry Kai. I thought it was Robert." He let go of the older boy's arm and lowered his head; even his ears were turned down. Kai shook the excess water from his body and glanced at the apologetic half-breed. Though he was drenched, he had to admit, Rei looked quite cute like that. 

            ~Hey Rei! Stop bowing to the human and pay attention!~ Kai's ruby eyes landed on the irritated dragon. He didn't understand, nothing the creature just said made any sense. Was it just a fluke before?

            "Oh…uh right." Rei turned his attention to Dragoon. "What were you saying?"

            ~Max was resisting and then I sneezed and well, he's somewhere in the forest.~ Rei's calm appearance shattered as realization of what he heard registered in his mind and he slammed his hands onto the land by the dragon's feet. 

            "WHAT?! You have to get him! Robert will be here any minute!" Dragoon flinched from the sudden uproar. 

            "More like right now!" When Rei found the source of that statement his tension released and he smiled. Max was coming down the side of the mountain, his wings outstretched to slow his descent. "Robert is coming, I saw him walking this way!" He made a graceful landing next to Dragoon and gasped when he spotted Kai in the lake. "Wh-What is he doing on this side of the mountain?!" Rei blinked.

            "Oh, well…I'll explain that later." He motioned for Dranzer. "You better go, you can settle your argument with Trygle later." She nodded and waited for Kai's command before she left. 

            "I'll meet you on the other side Dranz." Two whistles, and she took off. Before he left, Kai locked gazes with Rei. "And we'll figure out my little…incident tomorrow." Rei nodded and he dove under just as Robert appeared above the mountaintop. The raven-haired boy quickly jumped out of the lake and shook off some of the clinging water from his clothes. 

            "Went for a swim, Rei?" Said boy grinned. 

            "Just a little one." Robert hovered in front of them, making eye contact with each person there. 

            "Dragoon, Trygle, what are they doing here?" The question was directed to Rei, since he could speak to animals. 

            "Uh…they're just here…just because." Robert stared at him questionably. "Just because…you know, they're our friends." He and Max smiled and nodded. "Nothing wrong with a little friendly gathering, right?" Since he couldn't speak with any creature aside from Grypholyion, Robert took Rei's excuse and began flying towards his cave. 

            "Follow me." The two complied, Max taking the lead so that Rei could talk with the two creatures.

            "Thanks Dragoon, sorry for the trouble. As I promised, that's the last favor I'll ever ask of you." The blue dragoon shook his head.

            ~It's ok Rei; I was bored anyway. Just…think twice about who you ask before you ask a favor.~ He flew off, back to the Dragon's den undoubtedly, which left him with the golden eagle. 

            "I know you want Dranzer to stay here, but you got to respect her wishes." He looked away, but was listening. 

            Yeah, yeah… 

            "Well, if you want, I could take you with me when I go meet up with Kai tomorrow. Dranzer will be there." There was a slight pause, and then his gray (1) answer came.

            Mm…I'll think about it. With that, Trygle took off, and Rei sprinted to catch up with Max and Robert.

~*~

            'Maybe it was just a fluke. Or was it something about that golden eagle?' Dranzer stayed perched on her master's shoulder until they reached their home. Kai was taking his time, unlike Tyson, Kenny, and Dizzi, who had rushed past him a few minutes ago. Kai didn't worry about them however; he was still pondering what had happened earlier. 

            When he got inside, Tyson wasn't there. Kai figured he was with Kenny and Dizzi, thinking of an alibi for the fairy. That was fine for him. Although Kai could tolerate his presence, he much preferred solitude when given a choice. 

            As always, he locked his door and let Dranzer fly to her perch once he got to his own room. She began preening, while Kai changed into dry clothes. 

            *Ring*

            "Hn?" 

            *Ring Ring* He hastily slipped on a t-shirt and dashed around his bed to the phone on his nightstand. Picking it up before the next ring, Kai pushed the button and held it up to his ear.

            "Hello?" A slightly amused voice came through.

            "You sound a bit rushed, am I catching you at a bad time?" The bluenette sighed and walked to his balcony.

            "No, I was just changing." 

            "I see, that is a tough job for all of us."

            "Tala, what do you want?" A light chuckle was heard from the other end.

            "I'm just checking up on you. How goes the hunt?" Kai ran a hand through his slightly damp hair.

            "I'm making progress, but I do have some news for you."

            "Good or bad?"

            "Good for me, not so good for you. It seems one of the two creatures you asked for is unattainable." There was a pause, though Kai knew the redhead was relaying the message to his partner.

            "Why is it inaccessible? I thought you were the best Kai."

            "I am. However, when I was examining the area where they lived, I found that taking two would hurt the ecosystem." He racked his brains, recalling what Kenny had told him a while back about that side of the mountains. "I'm not exactly sure how many creatures like these live there, but I'm positive that the number is small. It's too much of a risk to take both." He waited for Tala's reaction and was a bit surprised when it came right away. 

            "So taking one wouldn't make a difference?" It wasn't what Kai was hoping for; it was a gray answer. But at least his client was considering what he had told him; and it wasn't a direct 'no you must take both'. 

            "One shouldn't cause a problem, but two is gambling. We don't even know if these creatures possess powers, I wouldn't want someone to get hurt." Although Kai knew full well that Rei's only weapons were his claws, Tala didn't. For all he knew, these creatures could shoot laser beams. 

            "All right, so which are you taking?" Kai smirked, like all his other captures; the redhead had taken his bait. 

            "The one you tried to take a picture of."

            "Which is…?" His grin grew. 

            "You'll have to wait if you don't remember." He stated as he leaned against the rail of the balcony.

            "At the rate you seem to be going I'll have forgotten about this creature completely before you bring it to me."

            "If you want to take the deal off the table, you better do it now." That could turn to his advantage; it would certainly make things easier on him if he didn't have to bring Rei in anymore.

            "I'm not letting you go that easily Kai." There was some mumbling on the other end of the line. "You contact me next time. I don't want to baby-sit you on this." He hung up; apparently the conversation was over for Tala. Kai clicked the phone and cursed. 

            'Guess I'll have to bring Rei to him.' It took him about a minute to realize that he was a bit saddened by this revelation, and when he noticed he stood up abruptly. 'So why am I getting upset about it? This is my job, this is what I do, I shouldn't have any second thoughts about it.' He turned swiftly and went back inside, sliding the door behind him roughly. The sudden noise alerted Dranzer, and she eyed the bluenette worriedly.

            {Master Kai?} He faced her, but shook his head.

            "It's no use Dranz, I don't understand you." She hopped off her wooden perch and nipped his glove, flapping her wings and trying to pull it off. "What are you doing?" He let the phoenix take it; after all, it was wet too. Tossing it aside, she then prodded at his bandaged hand. "Oh, I need to take that off." It was the cloth that Rei had wrapped his hand in when he had scratched him that day. Untying the material he rubbed his hand, it was healed. 

            'Why would Dranzer point this out?' He sat down on the end of the bed and felt her nudge him. The slightly bloodied cloth was held loosely in her beak. It came to him with a sigh. 

            "Dranzer…how do you sense things like this?" He stroked her silky plumage lazily. "I have to. It's my job Dranz, I can't back out of the deal now." Her chirps echoed in the room, but he shook his head. "I'm trying, you know that. I'm doing what I can." The loud slamming of the door downstairs snapped Kai out of his moment with Dranzer and caused hi to narrow his ruby eyes. "…Tyson…" A few more thumps told him that the boy was coming up to his room, which is precisely why he locked the door.

            "Kai!" The deafeningly sound of his knocking was enough to make Kai send Dranzer out to burn him. "Hey Kai, you got a request from someone!" Weighing his options, the bluenette got up and walked towards the sound. Unlocking the door, Tyson stood in front of him, waving the letter in his hand. "I don't know who it's from or what he wants, but it must be something big since you closed your box at the office." Nodding, Kai took the letter and shut the door. Tyson huffed. "You're welcome!"

            {A request? I thought Master Kai wasn't taking anymore since he got that one from Mr. Tala.} Dranzer eyed the letter curiously as Kai tore it open. There wasn't any name or address, it was hand delivered. 

            'Who would ask something of me now?' Kai was very curious given his current working situation. In the apartment above the post office, there was a man who ran a special business. The people in town called him Mr. Black. He knew most of the bounty hunters in town, or at least the ones good enough to call upon, and acted as the messenger for clients. Requests would come to him and he would send them out, for a small fee of course. He also sorted out the requests that came in. If it didn't seem important enough, he wouldn't send it out to his hunters. And when one of them didn't want to accept any more requests for a time, he'd close off their box, like he had done for Kai. 

Kai hardly got letters from anyone aside from Mr. Black. His name wasn't even registered in the phone book, as far as most people knew; only Tyson lived here. As he unfolded the letter and read over the neatly written text, he had to wonder just who had the gall to send him a request at his house?

_Mr. Hiwatari,_

_I've been told that your box is closed; however, I have a special offer for you. It has come to my attention (By an anonymous source) that a very unique creature is lurking in the Umber Woods. My source tells me that this creature appears human but has a few, interesting qualities. Heavenly ones if you will. I would like you to seek out this creature for me. I will pay you a generous amount, and I have even enclosed a photograph for you to help you in your search. If you agree to this, leave a reply at the Yuki shrine by dusk. It would be in your best interests to accept this Mr. Hiwatari, think wisely. _

It wasn't signed. Kai reread the last line of the letter, it sounded like a threat to him. And Kai didn't take too kindly to threats of any kind. 'Leave a reply by dusk huh?' He glanced out the window; the sun was still pretty high; he had plenty of time to figure out who had sent this. 'I could get Kenny to do a search, but that might take a while.' Before he crinkled the letter up, he remembered the picture and pulled it out of the envelope. He cursed as he recognized the slightly blurry figure in the shot. It was Rei's little friend, the half-breed named Max. 

~*~*~*~

(1) Gray answers or replies are what my friends and I call a response that isn't very clear. In other words, they are in between a yes and a no such as 'maybe', or 'I don't know'. 

SS-Another little twist. Man, this story seemed so much simpler when I originally thought it out. I need to think carefully as I type out the next few chapters. 

Tym-That would be a good idea. Guess we'll leave her to her thinking, please review, bye bye!


	9. A connection

SS-Hope everyone's been well, I've been peachy. 

Tym-I could go for some peaches…

SS-You can get those while I start this then.

Tym-Yums for me! I'll bring one back for you. *runs away*

SS-One…isn't that sweet…speaking of which, thank you for the reviews #^^# They pushed me to get this out faster. Actually, they're the reasons why I keep going! Thank you everyone!

***xXxCeRuLeAn-x'SxXx** – I'm doing my best. I'm pretty sure everything is going according to plan. ^^ Thanks for the support!

***Platinum Rei **– This'll make 2 updates in one month…that sounds utterly pathetic, but at least I'm updating! I would have made Rei the only one, but being able to communicate with Dranzer will help develop his character later on. 

***Nekowingzero** – Yea, I don't like school either (note the disclaimer)…but without it I wouldn't see my friends or get to learn Japanese (or better English, but that's beside the point). 

***MadMaddie – **Rest assured, more 'sweet Kai/Rei moments' are coming…very soon actually *hint hint* ^_^ Enjoy the chapter!

***the tigris** - *blushes* Thanks, it sounds weird hearing that my story is good ^^ much appreciation for the praise! 

***Syaoran-Lover** – I'm extremely grateful. Your review helped me fix up this chapter and modify future ones. Don't worry; some of your suggestions will be used in the next ones. They have not been forgotten! ****

**[]**Devlinn Reiko-sama**[]**, **~**Shaka Dragomir Nocturnus**~**, **::**Dark Willow (aka: Admiral2**::**,  ****Sarcasmcat****, **//**The Asakura gang**\\**, **#**devilburns**#**  **…** Lots of cookies to you guys too! Your words are very much cherished and valued! ^^ Have fun with this installment; hope it's to your liking. 

~*~*~*~

Loving Legends

Chapter 8 – A connection

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade or its characters. I'm just borrowing them for the purpose of this and my other stories. No money is made from this (I've checked), and I write solely to entertain others and to escape school life and its meany accomplices. 

**#notes#**

I wanted to let the curious reader know that I'm going to be focusing on Rei and Kai's situation for the next chapter or so, which means less of Tyson, Max, and Kenny. Don't worry though, I'll add bits here and there and make up for it later…hopefully ^^;; And I apologize in advance if anyone slips into OOC mode, I'm working on it. 

~*~*~*~

"Did you send him the letter?" 

            "Yes."

            "Are you positive he read it?"

            "I am certain. His roommate brought it to him."

            "Good." The sun was dropping slowly, but for the most part, it was still lighting up the whole town from their view. "Then hopefully we shall hear from Mr. Hiwatari in a few hours."

~*~

            After seeing Trygle off, Rei quickly caught up with Max, who eyed him curiously upon his arrival. "So, would you mind filling me in on why Trygle was just here, or am I going to have to guess?" He whispered.

            "Later, I promise." The blonde nodded and flew Rei up to Robert's cliff. The violet haired youth was speaking to Grypholyion, though neither boy could hear them. When Max let go of Rei, Robert faced them, a serious expression on his face.

            'Oh no, don't tell me Grypholyion told him…then again…there isn't anything suspicious about me talking to him, so maybe we're in the clear.' It looked like he was waiting for something as he just stood there, glancing from the confused angel to the equally perplexed Rei. Being the curious person he was, Max spoke up.

            "Uh…Robert…what did you want to talk to us about? Are we in trouble?" A question he had asked many a time. However, it didn't seem like they would be punished today.

            "No Max, both of you are fine. I'm just thinking about how to word this." The two boys hurriedly exchanged looks before returning their gazes to the older half-breed. "You see, the class I am assisting at the university is rapidly improving. It's an engineering course, and soon they will have the chance of shadowing professionals to see what the work is really like." Both boys nodded, not quite sure where this was going, or how it would affect them. 

            "The other professors and I are planning on taking a selected few earlier since they have an advanced aptitude for the career. We'll be accompanying them to the next town for three days while they learn about the occupation, so that means that you two will be on your own." Max and Rei didn't exchange glances; that would only give away their true happiness. Instead, they held it for the time being. 

            "Of course, Grypholyion will be here, but I still want you boys to be careful. I really don't want either of you leaving this side of the mountain for any reason." His tone had grown very serious, and for good cause. He had never left the two alone for such a long period of time before. 

            "I know you two like exploring the other side, and I've let it slide before, but that's only because I was close by. The town that we're going to is a good ten miles from here, even if I flew, I'd be too late if there was an emergency and you two had gotten into trouble." He walked up to them, towering over both boys. "For the next three days, I expect both of you to be innocent little boys. Under no circumstances will either of you venture beyond this mountain, am I understood?" By the older boy's powerful tenor and stern attitude, his request came out as a not-to-be-questioned command. They were even a bit frightened by his sudden change of personality. Sure, Robert had been strict before, but this was getting scary. 

            Rei was the first to speak up, seeing as he sensed Max's reluctance. "Don't worry about us Robert. We promise not to leave this side of the mountain. Besides, it's only three days, I'm sure we can manage even if Grypholyion wasn't here."

            "Grypholyion will be here, Rei. I wouldn't have considered leaving unless I knew someone I trusted was here to watch over you boys. And I know you are giving me your promise, but I need your word. Don't think I've been blind to your adventures to the other side, _young Rei_. I knew, but I never wanted to dampen your spirits, especially since you never caused…too much trouble. However, this time I'm not giving you _any_ slack. If you so much as set your tail on the other side of this mountain, I will put you in the den (1)." He then turned to Max. "The same goes for you, _little Max_. I won't hesitate to clip your wings if you try to fly to town." The blonde nodded quickly. 

Both were quite certain Robert wasn't going to go back on his word now, especially since he called them by their childhood names. He only attached 'young' and 'little' to their name when he was serious. They would have to be careful during the next three days. Their hopeful vacation seemed to be turning into their dreaded imprisonment. Robert could tell his words had affected them too. Though he was usually a bit lenient with them, when he wanted to be, the older boy could be harsh.

He sighed and brought his hand up to his forehead. "I know I'm being a tad callous about this, but I don't want either of you to get hurt. There has been some unusual activity in town lately. The hunters are getting restless since captures have become rare. I'm guessing the creatures of the Umber Woods are beginning to return to this side of the mountain. While that's good for their safety, it worries me. The hunters may try setting more inhumane traps and might even come closer to the mountain." He gently gripped Rei's shoulder. 

"Whatever you have planned, and believe me, I know you have some idea in mind, just put it aside for a while. Even with Grypholyion here, I don't want to risk losing you or Max. I need you to give me your word, Rei. _Do not_ cross over until I've returned. Am I clear?" It was asked in a softer tone, which quite possibly had more of an effect on Rei than before. Summoning a small smile to his lips, Rei sighed and nodded. 

"You can rest assured Robert, my schemes won't start until you've returned." Turning to Max, the older boy questioned him.

"And you, little Max? Do I need to clip your wings?" Laughing, he shook his head. 

"You don't have to, Robert. I'll just fly around in here if it'll make you feel better." His face grew less serious as he patted the blonde's fluffy tufts of hair. 

"It will. Knowing that you two will stay here will take a load off of my mind. Don't worry, I'll try and come back sooner." Rei waved away his uncertainties. 

"Robert, there's no need for that. We already gave you our word that we won't go to the other side. Just take your time." 

"I suppose so. Well, since that's settled, you two can go. I will call you to the waterfall before I leave tomorrow morning." They nodded and prepared to leave. "Oh, and Max," The youngest half-breed glanced back at him.

"Yeah?"

"To make up for all of this, I promise that we'll go…stargazing on your birthday, ok?" His clear blue eyes practically lit up when he caught his connotation. 

"Really?!" He asked incredulously.

"If you want to." The hyper blonde turned and kicked his wings into high gear, virtually ramming into the older boy's chest. 

"Eh…Max…" Rei shook his head. In his excitement, the angel had nearly knocked Robert over. He would have fallen if Grypholyion hadn't been behind him for support. 

"Yes, yes I want to go! You can't break your promise Robert, we have to go for my birthday!" Doing his best to calm him down, Robert shushed him.

"I won't if you don't cross over. If Grypholyion tells me that you and Rei have behaved, then yes, we'll go stargazing the night of your birthday. But only if you've kept your end of the deal." He bounced up and nodded enthusiastically.

"You won't be disappointed!" Max ran over to Rei and wrapped around his arm. "We'll be perfect, won't we, Rei?" Too shocked and surprised to do anything else, he agreed.

"Uh huh, perfect…" Rubbing his side lightly, Robert ushered them off.

"Then you two may go." Max smiled and flapped his wings.

"We're going! Come on, Rei!" Without much warning, he took off, dragging the raven-haired boy with him.

~*~

            "Do you really think this is going to work, Kenny?" He shrugged and continued walking towards his house. 

            "I hope so Dizzi. None of Tyson's suggestions were that good. It's this or nothing." She absentmindedly rubbed her arm. 

            "But Emily is fairly smart, I'd guess that she could tell if you were lying or not." 

            "Would you stop looking at the glass half-empty? Let's just try. If it doesn't work…well, we'll worry about it later." Dizzi sighed and nodded.

            "Whatever you say, Chief." They reached his house soon enough and he paused as his hand found the doorknob. Dizzi glanced at him. "Kenny?" He shook his head and turned the handle, as if shaking of the last bits of doubt in his mind. Pushing the door open, both stepped inside.

            "Emily?" He called out. "Emily, are you home?" Since he didn't hear anything, Kenny sighed and smiled. "Guess she's out somewhere with Mariah. That's good news for us." Dizzi walked in and looked around, though she had been in here many times, it seemed different now that she could see everything.

            "Geez, Chief, you sound like a frantic husband." She walked around, her eyes glittering with delight now that she didn't need to view things through a camera anymore. 

            "Can you blame me, Dizzi? I mean, why don't you try facing Em-Emily?!" As he went to close the door, the brunette came face to face with the very girl he had called out to before. 

            "Kenny, what's wrong with you?" She stepped inside, closing the door behind her. "Hm?" It was then that her eyes landed on Dizzi. She adjusted her glasses a little and walked up to her. "…Hello." She quickly glanced at the guest, narrowing her gaze with each unique feature she saw. 'Wings? Markings? Who is this girl?' Dizzi observed the orange-haired girl as well. Sure, she knew who it was, but never had she seen her like this.

            'I didn't realize she was so short. She's only a little taller than Kenny. And her hair really _is_ that orange after all…'

Kenny timidly walked up to both of them, laughing nervously. "Well, um…yea…Emily, I thought you were out…"

"I was, but I decided to come back a little early. Kenny, who is this friend of yours?" Emily asked right away. She didn't recognize her from the university, and she had never seen her with Kenny before. 

"She's…she's my new friend…from the university." Emily switched her gaze from the girl to Kenny, who cowered slightly.

"Really? I've never seen her before." He adjusted his grip on his laptop and tried to calm himself down. 

"I just met her the other day…at the fair…" Dizzi stared at him. How could he say that they had only just met? They've known each other for ages! 

"What class is she in at the university? It couldn't be the engineering one that we're in."

"Of course not. She's in…the environmental studies course. The outdoor one that's learning about the Umber Woods and its creatures." He silently prayed that she was buying this. "That's why she's wearing these clothes. It's all apart of the course. Dressing up like an Umber Wood creature helps them to imagine what it's like to be one. And with their adaptations, they can observe how the creatures live life everyday." A stretch of silence covered the room. Either she was going to believe it…or she was going to start with more questions. 

"…And which creature are you?" Skipping over Kenny, Dizzi answered herself.

"A Chishiki, an aether sprite." She held out her hand. "It's nice to meet you, Emily." She reluctantly accepted, as it wasn't good manners if she didn't.

"It's nice to meet you too. I'm sorry, but I didn't catch your name." Kenny stiffened.

"Oh, uh…"

"My name's Deliah. Kenny has told me a lot about you, Emily." Again Dizzi had come up with an answer. It came a little too quickly and smoothly though…had she thought of a name earlier?

"Good things I hope." Emily turned to Kenny. "You should have told me you were bringing someone over, this place it a mess." Dizzi smiled as the two began talking about the house. 

'They do act like a married couple.' She sighed. 'And to think I've missed all the arguments just because I've been locked away in that laptop.' 

~*~

            "So…what are you going to do about Kai, Rei?" The raven-haired boy glanced at him from his spot against the tree. After Max had flown them off, it had taken Rei a good ten minutes to calm him down and get him to land. Now he was adjusting his wind-blown clothes.

            "What about Kai?" Max took a seat next to him.

            "I mean meeting him tomorrow. You promised Robert that you weren't going to cross over, and you always meet him the other side of the waterfall. What are you going to do?" Rei blinked and cursed under his breath. He had completely forgotten about the lessons. 

            "That's a good question…" 

            "Oh wait, you also told me that you were going to explain why he was on our side earlier." Rei stared at him.

            "One thing at a time Maxie. Give me a minute…" The blonde tugged at his shirt.

            "I can help you with the first one if you tell me about the second first." Rei tilted his head. Did that even make sense?

            "All right. Remember when I told you I had made a deal with Kai?" He nodded. "And then I told you that I had to teach Kai how to speak to mythical creatures, right?" Another nod. "Well, I…couldn't do it. So, after we helped free Dizzi, I decided to ask Grypholyion how I learned how to talk to creatures. But Kai got to me before I crossed over, so--"

            "You brought him to Grypholyion?!" Rei shook his head furiously.

            "Of course not! I'm not that stupid. I just brought him to our side. He said that he wanted to try and understand." Rei sighed. "But then Kai went off on his own (big surprise) and then they ran into Trygle. Apparently he and Dranzer used to be good friends. However, when she tried to go back with Kai, he got upset and…well, that's pretty much when you came." Max scratched his cheek as he took all of the information in. 

            "So that's what happened…"

            "Basically." 

            "Then…if you had never brought Kai over, none of this would have happened, right?" Rei groaned.

            "You don't have to point it out, Max. I figured that out as soon as I found Trygle bickering with Dranzer." Letting his shoulders slump against the tree trunk, he got back on track. "Now that you're caught up, can you help me think of what to do about tomorrow?" Max flopped onto his stomach and stretched his wings out. 

            "…Um…can't you tell Kai to cancel the next three lessons?" Rei shook his head immediately.

            "Knowing Kai, he isn't going to take that. I suppose we can meet somewhere else, but with my promise, it would have to be somewhere on this side of the mountain."

            "And since Grypholyion will be on high alert, there's no chance he'll miss Kai if he came." Max frowned as he realized something else. "Guess that means I'm not going to see Tyson or Kenny anytime soon." Rei rubbed the boy's back.

            "Don't worry Maxie, after the three days are up, Robert's going to take us stargazing. That's sure to make up for a few days without the guys." The blonde grinned. The older boy always knew how to cheer him up. 

            "Yeah, you're right." He rested his chin on his hands. "But if Kai isn't coming here, and you're not going there, how are you going to meet?" Rei let his breath brush past his lips as he shrugged.

            "I don't know. And even if I did figure something out, how am I going to tell him? I can't call for Dranzer from here, and I'm sure Kai isn't going to send her."

            "Why don't you send Trygle?" Max suggested. 

            "I doubt he'd go to Kai, even if Dranzer was there to greet him, they'd only end up arguing if I'm not there to mediate." The blonde kicked his feet against the ground.

            "All right, seeing as this isn't getting us anywhere, let's see what we know and try to work backwards from there." He began to tick off his fingers with each statement. "Kai is going to come tomorrow around…ten, right?"

            "Um hm. He'll go to the cave."

            "You can't leave this side of the mountain."

            "Right."

            "Which means he'll end up waiting in the cave."

            "I suppose."

            "Will he do anything? I mean, by then he'll send Dranzer for you. Maybe you can relay the message that you can't come." Rei began playing with his tail, obviously getting frustrated.

            "She can't talk to him yet, there would be no use. And this isn't getting us anywhere either." Max leaned on his elbows.

            "I'm just trying to help." Rei nodded. 

            "I know. But the facts remain the same. I can't go anywhere, Kai will be there waiting, and I'm screwed." The younger of the two rolled onto his back and looked up to Rei.

            "If only you could get to the cave without leaving this side of the mountain…" As soon as the thought registered in Rei's mind, he bolted up and smiled.

            "You're brilliant Maxie! An absolute genius!" The boy sat up and stared at him questioningly.

            "Uh…not that I don't appreciate the praise, but what are you talking about?" Rei kneeled down and laid it out for him.

            "It's exactly what you said. I don't need to leave this side of the mountain to get to Kai. I just need to make the connection from Robert's cliff to the meeting place." Max's blue eyes lit up. "We both know that they're right across from each other, all I need to do is find the weak spot in the rocks and tunnel there." Both of them stood up.

            "Wow, I really am I genius, aren't I?" Rei ruffled his puffy hair affectionately.

            "No one can deny it, Max! Now the only thing left to do is find a way to distract Grypholyion while Trygle and I make the connection." 

            "Hm? Why Trygle?" Max asked curiously.

            "He wanted to see Dranzer again, so I told him that he could come along the next time I went to see her, so he can help me tunnel since he'll be there." He nodded in understanding. 

            "All right, then let's start planning, partner." Max gazed up at the sky. It was slowly getting dark as the sun began to set. "It's getting late, but I guess we can pull an all-nighter."

            "Took the words right out of my mouth, Max."

~*~

            The sun had nearly vanished behind the mountains, which qualified as dusk to the figure approaching the Yuki shrine. It was a small, wooden, pagoda-shaped temple with a set of bells hanging down the center, clearly marked off by two pillars on opposite sides of it. A unicorn was carved into each one, as a sign of remembrance. Not too many people came to it, but occasionally a child would come and ring the bells and make a wish. 

            The figure stepped up to the main shrine and bowed in respect. Eyeing the plain envelope laid out on the small alter, he smiled and picked it up. Opening it quickly, he unfolded the paper and scanned over the neat handwriting.

            _Sir or madam,_

_            It may not be clear to you, but if Mr. Black has closed off my box, it means that I will not, under any circumstances, accept any more requests at the moment. In other words, your demand has been declined. Not only are you wasting my time, but also you are clearly out of your mind. The photograph you have sent me was obviously altered, as no such creature exists in the Umber Woods. I suggest you seek out mental help as oppose than a hunter's. _

_                                                                                                K. Hiwatari          _

_            Also, I do not take too kindly to threats of any kind. If I find another letter addressed to my house with you as the sender, I will personally take care of you myself._

            The man furiously scrunched the reply in his hand and stuffed it into his coat pocket. Whipping around, he walked off in the opposite direction of the town, his footsteps crunching into the gravel road as he went. 

~*~

            Kai stared out into the forest from his spot on the balcony. He had just returned from his trip to the Yuki shrine, where he was instructed to leave his reply. Dranzer was sitting patiently on his shoulder, nipping at the berries Rei had given them a while ago. Kai guessed the requester had gotten his reply by now and he smirked trying to imagine the look on the person's face. 

            'It serves him right for trying to coerce me into accepting his request.' He narrowed his gaze. 'I hope I gave him a little migraine.' He had purposely written that no such creature existed to his knowledge to try and throw the man off. After all, there was no doubt in the bluenette's mind that the man would have gotten someone else to carry out his request since he declined. That would only give Kai more trouble. At least now this person would question his own thoughts about such a creature. 

            {Master Kai?} Dranzer nudged his head softly, driving him from his thoughts. He glanced at her.

            "What is it?" She bent her head down and picked up the now empty bag that used to hold the berries and gave it to him. He eyed it and then looked to his phoenix again. "Still hungry?" She chirped. "Well I'm not going to Rei at this hour to ask for more berries." He turned around and headed back inside. "You'll just have to settle for what we've got in the kitchen…if there's anything left." He closed the door to the balcony as he left. "Hopefully Tyson hasn't devoured everything."

~*~*~*~            (Don't worry, I'm not stopping yet #^^# But it is now the next morning)

            It seemed as if Robert had called them to the waterfall a minute after the sun had risen. They were slowly trudging to the site to see him off, yawning and stretching as they went. Rei didn't want to wake Driger and ask for a ride, and Max was sure his wings would give out on him if he tried to fly, so they settled for a sluggish march. 

            (+) Hurry young ones; we don't want to keep Robert waiting. (+) Grypholyion was flying alongside them, making sure that they got there in time. However, notice how he didn't bother to give them a ride over there…

            Max yawned again as he practically leaned on Rei's back. "Why does he have to go so early? I don't think the university is even open yet." 

            (+) Robert and the other professors accompanying the students are gathering early to discuss the trip and plan out some last minute details. (+) Max tugged at Rei's tail.

            "What did he say?" Opening his eyes to make sure he wasn't going to crash into anything, Rei translated for him.

            "…Because…" If he had been more awake, the blonde would have wanted more detail, but for now, it seemed sufficient.

            "Oh, ok." It took a few more minutes and a couple more pushes from Grypholyion before the two reached the waterfall. Once there, they collapsed onto the ground in front of Robert. He didn't bother to lecture them about manners at the time, since he was running a bit late. That and he understood that they never did wake up so early before. 

            He did cough to get their attention though. Seeing how they were barely keeping their eyes open, he kneeled down to their level. "All right you two, I'll be back in three days. Grypholyion will be keeping an eye on you, but I expect both of you to stay true to your word." Rei and Max nodded. 

            "Don't worry about us Robert," Rei covered his mouth as he yawned. "We'll be good." Too tired to speak, Max merely gave him a thumbs-up. Shaking his head, Robert stood up and grabbed his stuff. He really didn't expect any more from them, not at this hour anyway. 

            "You two should go back to sleep then. In fact, sleep the whole three days if you want, it'll keep you out of harm's way." The younger half-breeds managed a smile. "Be safe." He turned to Grypholyion and stroked his coat affectionately. "Take care of them."

            (+) Of course. (+) With that, he took off, giving his wings a few beats to get started, and then disappearing beyond the mountain cliff. (+) Enjoy your trip, Robert. (+) The great beast then turned to the boys, who were almost asleep. He tilted his head. (+) Since you young ones are so tired, I'll leave you be here, is that all right? (+) There was some mumbling, and he took it as a yes. Nodding, Grypholyion flapped his wings and took off.  (+) I will come check on you later, have a good rest little ones. (+) 

            Rei fell over, curling up in the slowly descending sunlight. Max on the other hand, drew up his wings in an attempt to block the bright rays, he would probably be the first to wake up.

~*~

            Kai checked his hand for any new scratches before putting on his gloves. It was rather hot that day, but he kept them on anyway just in case. Dranzer was still resting on her perch, a little aggravated by the heat. The bluenette found that rather amusing at first, a phoenix bothered by heat. He guessed that it was because of the number of hot red berries she ate last night. Without the need for extra heat, it was overwhelming her, and he was slightly worried. 

            After slipping on his tank top and securing his belt, he walked over to Dranzer and held his hand out to her. She hopped on and extended her neck a little. Taking the hint, he rubbed it gently, hoping he was helping her a little. 

            "Maybe Rei can give you some ice berries when we get there." She spat out some fire, clearly not in the mood for any kind of humorous tone. 

            {I don't know what you said Master Kai, but it sounded too funny…maybe the heat has gotten to you too.} He didn't respond to her chirps. Picking up the bag that the berries were in before, he stuffed it into his pocket and left for his lesson.

~*~

            "Are you ready Max?" The blonde glanced around and nodded. Rei smiled. "Ok, then go!" While Max tried to get Grypholyion's attention, Rei started his climb to Robert's cave, with a friend close behind. 

            You sure this is going to work? The raven-haired boy shushed the eagle as the great beast noticed Max and flew down to him. 

            "It better. You keep bragging about your skills Trygle, I hope you can back it up." The eagle flew up and waited for him at the mouth of the cave. 

            Yeah, well, I never thought you'd ask me to drill through a section of Robert's cave. When the boy made it, he ushered Trygle into the dark den. 

            "Well didn't you pick the right time to tell me…" He stated sarcastically. 

They kept going until they hit the wall. Then Rei grabbed one of Trygle's talons and guided him to the side, where there was a small tunnel leading to what he hoped was the cave Kai met him in. Giving the side a little push, Rei noticed that it gave a little, but was still fairly solid. 

            "Ok, I think this is it. If we hit it right here, we can make an opening big enough to fit through and will be able to cover it up with the fallen rocks." He turned and nudged Trygle. "You ready?"

            Well it's not like I have much of a choice, now do I? 

            "Not really." 

            Fine, here goes… Firelight strike! (2) His rapid attacks hurtled at the mountain, ripping bits and pieces of stone off the side. It echoed off the other sides and Rei began to worry that Grypholyion might hear it. 

            He shielded himself and his sensitive ears with his hands as the eagle's continuous assaults tore away at the mountain. "Good job Trygle, just a bit more…" The eagle poured it on, flapping his wings for more effect. Soon the mountain gave way, and it neared the breaking point. "That's good, you can stop now." Rei tugged on his tail in an attempt to get him to halt. Turns out, the raven-haired boy had jerked him a bit harder than he expected and Trygle fell against him. 

            You didn't have to yank my chain! Rei helped him up and brushed the pun aside as he went to inspect the wall. Carefully avoiding the shattered bits of rock littered across the floor, he pushed against it, smiling when it began crumbling.  

            "Great. I guess you weren't just bragging." The raven-haired boy drew out his claws and began slashing at the wall. Trygle reveled in the compliment.

            Expect nothing less Rei, nothing less. He flew over to him, keeping at a safe distance so that the flying bits and Rei's claws didn't hit him. Need help? He volunteered, more than ready to show his skills again. Rei shook his head and pushed his bangs aside.

            "No, I think I can manage." He stood back and whipped his tail around to smash through the wall, delivering the final strike, and finally creating a hole in the mountain big enough for him to walk through. 

            Hey, we actually did it. Rei smiled and glanced at him. 

            "You doubted yourself?" Trygle landed on his shoulder as he stepped through.

            Not really, I just thought the hole would cause the mountain to cave in on itself or something. Halfway through, both nervously looked up. Rei laughed a bit and playfully hit the eagle.

            "Knock on wood, Trygle! Don't jinx us!" 

            I wasn't trying to-huh? He tilted his head up and flew off of Rei's shoulder. 

            "…What is it?" He headed towards the mouth of the cave and dove down a bit. Curious, the half-breed followed him, looking over the side to see…

            "Kai." The bluenette was a few feet from the ledge, doing his best not to lose his grip on the mountainside. 

            "Rei, how long have you been here? I didn't see you on my way over." Smiling, he shrugged innocently. 

            "Just a minute or so." Turning his attention to Trygle, Rei noticed he was flying with Dranzer and talking to her. He didn't catch all of it, but he heard something about Dranzer burning herself. 'How could a phoenix burn herself?' He wondered.

            "Hey, do you mind?" Golden eyes peered over the cliff to meet mahogany ones. Kai was asking for a little assistance. 

            "Oh! Yeah, sure." He reached down and grabbed Kai's gloved hand and began to pull him up slowly. "Sorry, I wasn't really paying attention."

            "That's ok, just concentrate now and don't drop me." He nodded, a playful light filling his golden eyes.

            "Right." 

            Hey, Rei, we need your help. Both boys turned to the eagle.

            "What is it?" He motioned to Dranzer, who had landed nearby already. 

            Dranzer says that she's getting really hot. She tried water, but it didn't help. At that, Kai spoke up.

            "He's right. Dranzer was a little overheated this morning, and it isn't because of the weather." Rei helped him into the cave as he finished explaining. "I think it's because of those berries you gave her a while back. You said that they would help her get better, but just like regular medicine, you shouldn't take it unless you're ill. I have a feeling she ate too many." Now that he was in the cave, Rei helped him up, hands still clasped. 

            I hate to admit it, but the human is making sense. Rei, do you have a remedy? A little stunned at the exchange, he began thinking. Letting go of Kai's hand, he went over to Dranzer and stroked her plumage. She did feel unusually hot.

            "I think some mint leaves will help cool her down." He turned to Trygle. "Can you get some? They're near my summit, by the lake. They are a darker shade of green than the rest, don't worry, you'll be able to tell." Trygle nodded. "Get two branches just in case." He lifted himself into the air and glided to the exit. 

            Don't worry Dranz; I'll be right back. Assuring her, he flew out of the cave and shot up the mountainside. Meanwhile, Rei tended to her. 

            "How do you feel?" He asked. She shook her head.

            {All right, just hot.} Kai walked over to her and brushed the underside of her neck again. 

            "You'll be fine Dranzer. Just relax until that pigeon gets back." She chirped in an effort to make him feel better and leaned against him. Kai's eyes dimmed. "She will be fine, right?"

            "Of course. It isn't too serious, but I do hope Trygle gets back quickly. The sooner the better, but her life isn't in danger or anything." The bluenette sat down and continued to comfort his phoenix, Rei's contradicting answer wasn't easing his mind too much. 

            "Hn." He glanced at Rei, who was gazing into the forest, lost in thought. "What are you thinking about? You had that same look on your face when the pigeon was telling us about Dranzer." Right then, Rei turned to face him, confusion clouding his golden eyes.

            "That's just it. When he told _us_ about Dranzer." The raven-haired boy sat across from them, his ears twitching a little. "You understood him again. More than that, Trygle understood you too. I just don't get it. How is this working?" Kai just realized it too. At that moment, he had heard every word clearly, and later, when he was safely in the cave, it was nothing but chirps. 

            "Is there anything special about that pigeon?" Rei shook his head, not bothering to correct him about what species his friend was. 

            "Not really. I mean…he's golden, but that's just a color." 

            "Your eyes are golden, think that's a connection?" Rei smirked.

            "I doubt it, Kai. No, it must be something you're doing." The bluenette couldn't think of anything. Nothing made sense. He began looking around, wondering if it was something about their surroundings that brought about his ability. His eyes landed on the new hole in the side of the mountain. 

            "What did you do?" Rei glanced at him.

            "Hm?" Kai urged him to follow his eyes since he didn't want to move his hands in fear of disturbing Dranzer. Rei turned and smiled when he saw what he was talking about. "Oh, that. Well, I needed a new way of getting here without crossing over and that was the best I could think of." Kai raised an eyebrow.

            "You couldn't have thought of anything else?" The half-breed huffed and moved next to him.

            "Why don't you try?" He dared him. "Aside from the waterfall, there isn't any other way I could get here in time. And I knew you wouldn't like it if I skipped out on the lesson, so I had to do something." That brought up another question.

            "Why couldn't you cross over the way you usually do?" A bit surprised, Rei blinked and shifted his position, backing away.

            "Oh…uh…" He couldn't tell him that Robert had left, who knows what the older boy would do with that information. "I just…I couldn't." A thought just popped into Rei's mind. What if Kai used the hole to get to his side of the mountain at night? What would Grypholyion do if he saw Kai in Robert's cave?! 

            Scared out of his mind, he grabbed Kai's arm. "Kai, you **cannot** use that hole for any purpose, ok? Just leave it alone or I will stop teaching you!" That was a bit of a shock, Rei had never come in such close contact with him before unless forced. Kai tried to calm himself down as he felt a strange fluttering sensation grow inside of him. 

            "Stop teaching me? You've barely done any instructing yet." Rei leaned in closer.

            "I'm not going to do any if you go near that hole, am I clear?!" It was weird, in that instant, Rei felt a bit of Robert's commanding tone course through him. The new tenor didn't affect Kai though; it was the pleading look and determination in Rei's eyes that got him to slowly nod. 

            "Fine, I won't. I doubt I could fit through that small opening anyway." Happy with his answer, Rei smiled and brought his head down onto Kai's shoulder as he sighed in relief. He had no idea his action had made the older boy shiver; Rei just liked the warmth and feel of his skin. 

            …Wait a minute…shiver…warmth…?

            Almost instantly, both boys grasped what had happened and tensed. Rei pulled away and Kai turned his gaze to his overheated phoenix. The raven-haired boy scratched his ear in confusion.

            'What just happened there? I actually…liked that?' He furiously shook his head, his tail hitting the ground every now and then. 'I just went overboard on the hole (Or whole, either works in this situation) thing, that's all. I was worried about what could have happened, and I over did it.' He glanced over his shoulder. 'Then why the heck am I still blushing?! Stop blushing! Stop blushing!!' 

            Kai was thinking along the same terms. He didn't know why he had felt what he did. 'It was nothing. I shiver when cold water hits me, or when a cool breeze brushes past me, so why not his warm, gentle, breath-stop it!' He concentrated on Dranzer, who he was still patting lightly. 'I did not shiver because of him…why would I? He was just relieved when I agreed to stay away from the hole and didn't know that his soft, silky bangs were brushing over my arm.' There was another pause and he mentally kicked himself. 'Why am I thinking about it?! It was nothing…nothing…' 

            After a few minutes had passed, and Rei was sure he wasn't red anymore, he turned around. "Um…Kai?" Willing himself to stop thinking about their contact, the bluenette glanced at him. Rei didn't know why, but now even his gaze was making him blush. 'Stupid heat…it must be the weather…' The younger boy motioned to the phoenix. "Is she still hot?" 

            "Hn." It was all he could manage at the point. Kai didn't trust his voice. He wasn't sure if his words would come out correctly. 

            "Well…" His attempt at conversation was cut short when the eagle descended into the cave. 

            Found them! Sorry I took so long. Actually grateful for Trygle's appearance, Kai got up and walked over to him, holding Dranzer in his arms. 

            "Geez, think you got enough? When I said two branches, I meant two small ones, not a whole kindling." It was true, it looked like he had somehow snapped off an entire branch and carried it back with his talons. Though appreciative, Rei hoped that Grypholyion hadn't noticed. He picked off a few leaves and held them out to Dranzer. 

            "Just eat a few, it'll make you feel a lot better." She reluctantly took one in her mouth, devouring it pretty quickly after the soothing mint taste cooled her mouth. Rei motioned for Kai to sit so that the process would be easier. He then handed him a few leaves so that he could give them to her. 

            Trygle observed this and hopped over to the half-breed's side. She's going to be ok, right? Glancing at the phoenix, Rei nodded. 

            "She should be fine. Once they get into her system, she'll cool down considerably." Thinking that Rei was speaking to him, Kai looked up.

            "Good, I'd hate to have to leave her here again. I don't want to be left alone with Tyson another time." The raven-haired boy smiled, but turned to the branch and started picking off a few more leaves since he felt his blush growing. 

            Trygle tilted his head. Maybe you should eat a few of those Rei, you're getting red too. Rei quickly turned and grabbed the eagle's beak. Then he checked to see if Kai had caught and understood him. Extremely glad that he hadn't noticed, he sighed in relief. Trygle wasn't too pleased though, and began flapping wildly until Rei let go. 

            What was _that_ for?! Hearing the uproar, Kai glanced questionably at Rei, who merely waved away his curiosity. 

            "Nothing…it was nothing." Eyeing the eagle again, he emphasized the word. "It was _nothing_, ok?" Trygle nodded, though confused; he went along with him. 

~*~

            About fifteen minutes had passed since Dranzer had eaten the mint leaves, and she was now relieved of her fever. The phoenix was still eating the greens though, for good measure. Trygle was next to her, watching the two boys talk about…something. He didn't quite understand, but by their tone, it didn't sound like anything happy. 

            "It couldn't have been a fluke if it happened twice. You must have done something." Rei suggested.

            "I didn't do anything out of the ordinary. How do you know it wasn't something _you_ did?" Their arguing went in a circle, always starting and ending in the same way. The two birds couldn't tell what was more surprising, that they weren't fighting, or the fact that they hadn't thought of fighting each other yet. 

            "It couldn't have been something I did since you're the one who's being affected. I've always been able to talk to creatures, but you haven't." Kai crossed his arms in frustration.

            "I already know that." Rei narrowed his gaze on him, his tail flicking back and forth. 

            "Then it can't be something I'm doing. Whatever is causing you to gain the ability must be out of your own power." 

            "I'm not doing anything that I haven't done before! And you said I didn't have any powers." The raven-haired boy moved his arm swiftly through the air as he walked closer. 

            "That's not what I meant, and you know it!" Kai grabbed Rei's wrist, thinking that the next swung it out; it would be aimed at him. 

            "If you want me to understand, you should clarify, and say what you mean!" 

            {Rei-neko, master Kai, please stop arguing!} Both boys turned to look at Dranzer, who was obviously fed up with their fighting. True, she could only hear Rei's side, but it was getting annoying. 

            "We're not arguing Dranzer, I'm just telling him that he's not thinking hard enough." Rei stated as he pulled his hand away from Kai's grip. "If you just took your time, maybe you'd realize that you're doing something different." It didn't seem like the bluenette heard him. The anger that once clouded his eyes disappeared when he stared at Rei. 

            "…Rei-neko?" He repeated the name Dranzer had called him. 

            "What?" Kai shook his head.

            "What is the deal with that name?" Rei sighed.

            "It's just something that Dranzer calls me sometimes." Clearly Rei hadn't realized what had happened yet. It wasn't like Kai gave him time to figure it out though. He took hold of the younger boy's arm and turned to his faithful phoenix. 

            "Dranzer?" She returned the gaze.

            {…Master Kai? What is it?} Suddenly, Rei began tugging at him.

            "Kai, what are you doing?" A blush began surfacing on his cheeks, he had no idea what Kai was doing. 

            "Rei, tell Dranzer to ask something." He stopped struggling.

            "What?"

            "Anything, tell her to say anything, but make it a question." The half-breed guessed that he wasn't going to let go of him until he did what he asked…so he complied. Actually, part of him told him not to do anything, but that side of him was quickly hushed.

            "Dranzer, ask Kai a question." She eyed his curiously, but his returning gaze told her that he didn't know what this was about either. 

            {Master Kai, can we bring some of these leaves back with us?} Kai grinned.

            "Yes. We can bring as much as you want." He then let go of Rei's arm and shook his head. "I can't believe I didn't notice it before. It was so simple…" The confused raven-haired boy confronted him.

            "Kai, what in the world are you talking about?" 

            "It's you." Rei pointed to himself.

            "Me? What about me?"

            "You have been the connection all this time." Still completely in the dark, Kai elaborated. "Do you remember the first time I heard Trygle? I was helping you up and then he asked if you liked humans because you were holding my hand?"

            "…Yeah. What about it?"

            "Think about it, Rei. When you were helping me up the cliff earlier I understood what that pigeon said about Dranzer, didn't I?" The younger boy's eyes suddenly lit up in comprehension. "And just a minute ago Dranzer told us to stop arguing right after--"

            "Right after you grabbed my hand…" Kai snapped his fingers after Rei finished his sentence; finally aware of the pattern he had laid out. 

            Rei groaned and rubbed his temple. "So every time you want to talk to, or understand Dranzer you have to come into contact with me?" Kai smirked and nodded his head while Rei's ears fell. "What does that make me then, you're translating tape?!" 

            "Not exactly…" He sauntered over to him and lifted his ear up into a pointy position. "I think you're more like training wheels." Rei wasn't very amused. 

            "That's not funny, Kai." 

            "It's true though. At first, the words were very foggy and still had some animal sounds, but now, it's getting more apparent. I think I just need your help until whatever power I have sets in for good." Rei sat down and crossed his arms.

            "Well that doesn't seem too fair to me. You make it sound like I'm just a machine for you to use until you're ready to fly on your own." Kai kneeled down and tentatively tapped his ears.

            "If you were a machine, you wouldn't be so stubborn, and I wouldn't have had so much trouble. And besides, I don't want you thinking you're a machine. You can still teach me, and I probably won't actually use you unless I really want to speak to Dranzer." Rei glanced at him.        
            "Why not?"

            "Because I don't like having things handed to me on a silver platter. I've earned everything I have, and taking the easy way isn't any fun." The raven-haired boy smiled.

            "You have fun? And here I thought you were a stick in the mud." Before the bluenette got up, he flicked the younger boy's ears. 

            "Watch it kitty-cat, don't push me." Rei rubbed his sensitive ears and got up after him.

            "I won't push you if you leave me ears alone." Kai thought about it and then nodded.

            "Fine, it's a deal." Rei sighed.

            "Can't you leave deals out of this? Soon I'm going to lose track." He motioned for Trygle to come to him as his ears picked up something. "We can continue this tomorrow. You got to go now." The older boy turned around.

            "Why?"

            "Because time's up, and I think Grypholyion is coming." Rei headed for the newly made hole in the wall. "Take as many leaves as you want, I doubt they'll affect her if she eats too many." 

            "Hold on." Just when he was about to step through, Kai walked up to him.

            "Yeah?" His hand rested on Rei's shoulder ad he called out to the phoenix.

            "Dranzer." She flew up and hovered above the leaves.

            {Yes, Master Kai?} He smiled.

            "Meet me at the bottom, I'll get the leaves for you." She chirped and began descending down the mountainside. Rei stared at him curiously.

            "You couldn't have told her that with whistles?" 

            "I probably could have, but it's nice hearing her voice." The younger boy couldn't help but smile, this new side of Kai was truly a wonder to behold. He glanced at the hand that still held his shoulder in a light grip, and then gazed into his crimson eyes.

            "Same time tomorrow?" He nodded and went to collect the leaves, the spot on the half-breed's shoulder now cold from the loss.

            "Don't be late. And I wouldn't make any more holes in the mountain, it might collapse." Just like before, Rei glanced nervously at the ceiling. 

            "I'll remember that. See you, Kai." 

            "Hn." He stepped through and began piling up the rocks to close the gap. 

            "Next time I should get Dranzer to melt the rocks together like a door. Then I can just slide it shut instead of doing this." Trygle nodded.

            Not a bad idea…training wheels. Rei glared at him. 

            "I swear, if you make that a habit _I'm_ going to sell you off to the highest bidder." The eagle hopped off his shoulder and flew near him.

            You wouldn't. No response. Rei? You…you wouldn't, would you? He put up the last rock and began walking away. Rei? He followed him out, a small fear nagging in his mind. Rei?! 

~*~*~*~

(1) Putting Rei in the den is like time-out. Though Rei is 15, punishing him with childish tactics is part of the penalty. He'd be stuck in the cave for a certain amount of time with Grypholyion as his keeper.

(2) Argh…I never saw an episode where Trygle actually attacks. I know it's some fastball attack, but I have no clue what element it is exactly. Since he resembles Dranzer, I made it a fire/light attack (since he's golden…though that shouldn't make a difference). Don't take my word on this; it's just me using my writer's license. 

SS-Wow, that was kind of long. Not as big as the last one, but still up to my usual updating quota. Hope everyone liked it. Things are beginning to go somewhere, and now you all know why Kai could only understand Trygle at first. Did any of you figure it out before I explained it? I would have cut it off right after Kai figured it out, but since I'm rather sketchy about updating, I added more so none of you had to wait. ^^;; 

Tym-Sketchy, huh? That's a new way of describing your updating pattern. But I suppose it fits. 

SS-At least I didn't leave this one on a cliff! Please review, it keeps me going as a writer. See you all next time!

Tym-Ashes! 


	10. The new hunter

SS-Welcome to the next installment, hopefully it's to your liking. 

Tym-Food is to my liking.

SS-Thanks for letting everyone know, Tyrannomon. Anywho, we'll get started quickly today, so no individual thanks this time. But all of the reviews are awesome! I think I got twelve just for the last chapter!! *happiness* ^U^ Thanks everyone!

**~**Bluumberry**~**, **//**MadMaddie**\\**, **#**Devlinn Reiko-sama**#**, *****CRaZy NeK0-JiN*****, **::**Platinum Rei**::, ^**Sarcasmcat**^, ))**Shaka Dragomir Nocturnus**((, **devilburns****, **[]**Syaoran-Lover**[]**, **``**Dark Willow (aka: Admiral2**``**, **/\**Donkey-Chic**/\**, and **{**Waves-Sama**}**

*huggles* Just because I'm not doing individual thanks doesn't mean I can't mention everyone ^^ Arigatou! 

~*~*~*~

Loving Legends

Chapter 9 – The new hunter

Disclaimer: See previous chapter

~*~*~*~

            A door opens and closes, soft footsteps approached a figure sitting in the shadows. "Did the new hunter take the job?" The latter asked before the guest sat down. 

            "Yes, he's already in the forest setting up some traps." The first person smirked.

            "Good. Tell me about him." The second sat down across from him, taking out a little notebook and reading off what he had written earlier.

            "He's a middle-class hunter. Noted for overdoing his snares, but hides them very well."

            "What is his specialty?"

            "Just as you requested, flying creatures. He uses traps that set off according to how much air pressure is around them." The first person nodded and leaned back in his chair.

            "Excellent." Closing the notebook, he tucked it away in his coat pocket and crossed his arms.

            "Do you really think this is going to work?" 

            "Of course. Once Mr. Hiwatari sees what an interference our new hunter is, he'll reconsider our earlier proposition." The response was quick and smooth. He was obviously very confident about this. 

            "Guess that means we won't have to check up on him anymore."

            "I highly doubt it. We just need to wait and reap the benefits of our plan."

~*~

            As soon as Kai collected a bundle of leaves, he make a knot around the top of the small bag, tied it to his belt, and began his descent down the mountainside. His spirits were slightly lifted now that he had finally discovered how his ability was activated, but his feelings on what he had to do to trigger it…were a bit hazy. Was it a good thing? Sure, being around Rei was nice (Especially now that there was less enmity between them), but he couldn't figure out just _how_ nice it was. 

            'And what was with that little incident just before the pigeon came in? It was nothing, right?' Now that he was a few feet from the bottom, he carefully jumped down, careful to avoid any stray rocks and debris. Kai noticed Dranzer coming towards him, and he outstretched his arm, giving her a place to land. 

            {Master Kai.} Noticing the bag tied to his belt, she chirped and hopped up to his shoulder, nuzzling his hair in thanks. That action spoke for itself. 

            "You're welcome, Dranz." He proceeded into the forest, unaware of the figure keeping a close watch on him as he went. It was a good thing he had another alarm system. Dranzer was soon aware of another's presence and began looking around. Kai slowed his pace and quickly scanned the area. He whistled to her, telling her to find the person immediately. 

            While she flew off, Kai quickly made his way to a nearby tree and climbed up to one of the higher branches, waiting for Dranzer to smoke out the follower. He looked around, whoever this person was he was fairly elusive. 'Could it be another hunter? Maybe it's one of the lower class ones. But why would he be following me?' As he moved to reach a higher spot, something small and hard hit his head. 'What?' Grabbing hold of it, he examined it carefully. It was a miniature barometer, and a string that led into the leaves suspended it. Kai stood up carefully and pushed some of the foliage away, revealing a mesh net, one that was a bit more high-tech than the one he carried on his belt. The weights along its circumference were spiked, and specially designed to send electric shocks along the wires of the net. 

            "Hn…now how could a hunter below my class possibly afford a trap like this?" Glancing at the neighboring trees, Kai could almost make out the weights of the other nets, which were made to look like fruit or nuts. Kenny had showed him this model once. It was pricey, but it could certainly do the job. Then again, he could do the same without the trap, so why waste his money on it? 

            *CWAAAR*

            Snapping his head towards the direction of the noise, Kai smirked. Dranzer had found the tag-a-long and was chasing him. Running his hand along the string, the bluenette chuckled as an idea popped into his head. He looked out from his spot on the branch and took out his pocketknife. 

            "C'mon Dranzer, lead him over here…" After a few seconds, Kai spotted the person running out of the bushes like mad. 

            "Help! Someone help me!!" He yelled as he continued his sprint. 

            *CWAAAR* 

            She didn't let up on her pursuit though, and prepared to dive into him. 

            "HELP ME!!!" Pressing her wings closer to her body, Dranzer was seconds away from striking him down. However, that was close enough. Kai blew two sharp whistles, causing the phoenix to break out of her plummet and soar up through the canopy. "What?!" No longer than a second after that, Kai slashed through the string and the net came crashing down on the guy. "Hey! What's the big idea?! Let me out of here!" Kai merely shook his head as he jumped down from the branch. 

            "I'd stop struggling if I were you." The boy caught in the net turned and gasped. 

            "I-It was you!" He should have listened. Turns out all of his moving triggered the electric shock of the net, giving him a quite a surprise. "AAHHH!" 

            Kai whistled again. "Dranzer!" Hearing her name, the faithful phoenix tore through the leaves and came to a slow and gentle landing on her master's waiting arm. He stroked her plumage with pride. "Good job." She chirped sweetly, a complete opposite of the terrifying shriek she released earlier. He then walked over to the net, which had halted on its electrical assault. 

            Now that he had stopped moving, Kai could actually see him. The boy had a light shade of red hair, which was held back by a blue bandana. He wore a blue shirt with a beige, explorer-type vest over it. His shorts were also of a tan color, and the belt around his waist held a few items too. They were just common tools for hunters that specialized in traps. Focusing his attention on the guy's face Kai smirked; he didn't look very happy about the little jolt he had just received. 

            "Damn trap…" The bluenette suppressed a laugh. . 

            "You must be a very inexperienced hunter." 

"Shut up! You don't know what you're talking about!" Pulling out a knife of his own, the boy proceeded to free himself, only to receive a jolt once the metal hit the wires. 

"And you don't know what you're doing. You can't cut through that kind of trap, not if the electric trigger is still in tact." It wasn't like Kai to offer advice like this, but if he wanted answers, he first needed the boy to be free of the net. Plus, the sparks that came from the weights of the net might cause a fire if it wasn't dealt with soon. 

"I knew that, I was just trying my luck." Now aiming for the weights, the boy disabled the trigger and cut through the net. He was free in a minute or so. "And I didn't need your help, ok?"

"You could have fooled me, Johnny." Normally, Kai wouldn't have small talk with someone who was tailing him, but he recognized this hunter. Johnny was one of the middle-class hunters in town. He hung around the university and often talked to Robert about things he had heard about from other seekers. They went back, but were hardly friends. "So, would you mind telling me why you were following me?" The redhead crossed his arms.

"I wasn't following you. Why would I want to? If I want to catch something, I'd have to stay away from you. After all, that bird of yours scares anything worth catching away." 

*CWAR*

Kai restrained her, though he'd love to let Dranzer wreak her havoc on him, it wasn't the time or the place. "I'm not in the mood for your humor, Johnny. Tell me why you were following me. And while you're at it, why did you put up so many of these traps if you don't know the first thing about them?"

"I already told you, I was not following you. So don't flatter yourself, Hiwatari. As for the traps, there's no law keeping me from putting them up." He turned, prepared to leave. "I have a very large bounty waiting to be collected, so I decided to bring out the big guns." Kai narrowed his eyes. 

What kind of a bounty was so valuable that it required traps of such magnitude? Not only were they expensive, they were also very complicated and precise. After the nets were set up and secured, the barometer had to be placed near the trunk of the tree and close to the actual net. The reason for the barometer was because the snare was designed to catch flying creatures. It has to be set for a certain pressure (caused by the flap of the creature) and when the being passes by, if the pressure matches that of the barometer, it will cut the string, releasing the net onto the creature. 

'What is Johnny after?' Kai remembered that the pressure set for that barometer was pretty high. So whatever he was hoping to catch must be fairly large. Even Dranzer couldn't set it off unless she was trying to create a whirlwind right in front of it. 

"Heh, since that's over, I'm out of here." He didn't get farther than four steps before Dranzer flew ahead and stopped him. 

*CWAAR*

She flung her tail out, driving him backwards. She even let out a few spurts of fire, just to add to her ferocity. Johnny glared at her and then pivoted around. "Hey, tell your little canary to get out of my way! I got places I need to be!"

"You certainly didn't seem in such a rush before my Dranzer drove you out of your hiding place." He didn't respond. "Who gave this request to you? What are you after?" It was definitely a command. And it did not surprise Johnny. "I'm not going to ask again." Figuring that he wasn't going to be able to leave until he answered the bluenette's questions, he shrugged.

"I don't know who asked for my services." He stated. 

Kai raised an eyebrow. "How can you not know?"

"I just got this letter in the mail telling me to go to the Yuki shrine." He tugged at his bandana. "He said that if I was interested in a large bounty, I should meet him there to discuss the details." Kai stiffened slightly. 

'It must be the same person who sent me the letter in the first place. Damn…whoever he is, he isn't giving up. And that means that Johnny is after Max.' As he continued on his train of thought, Johnny continued to talk. 

"He even showed me this picture of what I'm supposed to get. It was really blurry, but I could have sworn it was human." 

{Master Kai.} Dranzer's chirp brought the bluenette back, and he quickly made up his mind.

'I have to convince Johnny that this is all a scam. If I don't, and Max comes out here, I'm sure he'll get caught. I'll bet every barometer here is set for the pressure Max creates. I don't know how this mysterious client figured it out, but they have to be set for him.' Johnny stared at him, waiting for a response. 

"So, is that good enough for you, Hiwatari? Can I go now?" Kai sighed. 

'If I don't lead him away from this mission, Max will be in danger. Rei won't forgive me if I went back on my end of the deal. Man, I never would have guessed my part would be so taxing.' 

"Listen, Johnny. By any chance, in this photograph, did the creature have yellow hair?" He seemed to be thinking back, racking his brain.

"…I think so, why?"

"And the client said it had some 'heavenly qualities', right?" Johnny crossed his arms.

"What are you getting at?"

"Let me save you some trouble, Johnny. This is a scam."

"A scam? How?" Kai walked up to him.

"This mysterious guy came up and asked the very same deal of me no more than a day ago. It's just a wild goose chase. There's no such creature in the Umber Woods. The picture was probably altered, that's why it's so blurry." He seemed to buy it, for a second.

"If that's true, why would someone go through all the trouble?" Kai choked a laugh. 

"Why else? To send you off and keep you busy. See, if you're off chasing this 'heavenly creature' then you'll pretty much be out of the hunting picture for a while. Other seekers can come and take everything that you could have gotten." It was quite convincing…however…

"Come on Hiwatari, that's the lamest excuse you've ever come up with!" Kai silently cursed, but persisted.

"I thought it would have been rather obvious to you, Johnny. I hunter of your skill and experience must be the envy of many young, aspiring seekers. Is it that farfetched to believe that one of them would pull a stunt like this in hopes of claiming your creatures?" He was utterly disgusted with himself. The mere thought of repeating that load of lies made Kai sick. But he had to say something to steer him away. 

Johnny shrugged, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Well, it isn't _that_ unbelievable I suppose…" Kai smirked. If there was one thing he could count on about Johnny, it was his ego. It was his Achilles heel, and the best part was, he was completely unaware of it. 

"Can't you see, Johnny? This mysterious client never showed you a fraction of the bounty…he could be bluffing. All you got were letters, right? There's no collateral. This guy is sending you on a wild goose chase." The redhead began to fume. 

"I can't believe he tricked me!" 

"Most than that, he made you waste your time and money. You had to set up all these nets…spent all that money…for nothing." Kai clapped his shoulder and began walking away, with Dranzer close behind. "Hn, see you later, Johnny." Kai didn't actually leave; he took cover behind a nearby tree, waiting to see the boy's reaction. 

"That double-crossing son of a…argh…I think a little chat is in order." With that, he left. Stomping back to town, wholly blinded by his anger. He didn't even notice the bluenette when he passed by. (1)

Kai stepped out and smiled as he patted the back of Dranzer's neck. "Well, that takes care of him. For now anyway…" 

~*~

            Trygle flew off right after they reached the end of the tunnel. Actually, first he got Rei's word that he wouldn't be auctioned off, and then he left. It seemed he planned on accompanying Rei every time he went to meet up with Kai; to see and make sure Dranzer was ok. After the little heat problem that morning, he didn't want to take any chances. That was all right with Rei. He didn't mind the company, and he would be useful if an emergency arose. 

            Max greeted Rei as soon as he spotted him walking towards their tree. It had been an uneventful morning for him, aside from Grypholyion's check-up a little while ago.

            "What happened? What did you tell him?" Max smiled.

            "Don't worry Rei. I told him you were Driger, and that you'd be back really soon." The raven-haired boy sighed in relief as he leaned against the sturdy bark. The last thing he needed was trouble with the griffin.

"That's good. For a minute there, I thought I'd blown it on my first try." Rei let himself slide down the trunk of the tree, coming to a gentle stop on the rustling grass. Max preferred suspension and extended his wings to keep him in the air. 

"Well?" The blonde asked curiously. The older boy glanced at him.

"Well what?" 

"How did it go? You didn't get into any more arguments with Kai, did you?" Thinking back to their little tiff before Dranzer had cooled down, Rei pursed his lips in contemplation.

"…Not really." 

"So you did."

"I didn't say that."

"But that's what you meant, right?"

"Not really."

"Rei."

"Max." The younger sighed.

"Was it about him being a bounty hunter?" Crossing his arms, Rei shook his head.

"No, but thanks for reminding me…" Max quickly covered his mouth with his hands and laughed nervously.

"Whoops." He rubbed his arm absentmindedly. Deciding to change the topic before that can of worms opened yet again, the blonde thought back to what he saw back when he was coming back from the other side of the mountain. "Hey Rei, when you were in the cave, did you look out into the town's side of the forest?" The raven-haired boy shook his head slowly.

"No. I mean, I did…but I wasn't really paying attention to what I saw. Why?" He shrugged.

"It's probably nothing, but when I was coming back that day, I could have sworn I saw something. It was like, a flash of light." Rei nodded, his ears now pointing straight up. "I didn't have time to check since Robert was coming back, but it didn't seem like something from an Umber Wood creature." He turned to him. "Do you think it matters?" There was a pause between the question and the answer, but not a long one. 

"Maybe it was the sun or something. Don't worry about it Maxie, I doubt it's anything to be concerned about." The blonde smiled and flopped down beside his best friend. 

"Ok. I shouldn't have worried about it." His smile grew to a grin as he leaned against Rei's shoulder. "Guess this means I'm growing up! I'm beginning to worry about the little things!" The older boy patted his hair reassuringly.

"It'll take more than that to make you a grown-up. Let it go Max, I'll become an adult before you do." 

"Oh yea, huh…" Max poked his arm playfully. "You'll deal with all those weird grown-up things first, won't you? Soon you'll be taking responsibility for what I do…"

"I already do that."

"And then you'll lecture me about things…"

"Mm…I only did that once or twice."

"Then before you know it, you'll be in love and stuff…" 

"I…" He drifted off, his mind unable to summon words to complete his sentence. Thankfully, Max was on a roll and hadn't taken notice of it.

"Oh no! Soon you'll be just like Robert! Ahk! Two Roberts and no Rei!" He clung onto the dark-haired half-breed's arm lightheartedly, his chuckles beginning to die down a bit. Rei, however, was mostly oblivious to his friend's fun. 

_"Then before you know it, you'll be in love and stuff…" _

'That…that is not going to happen to me. Who is there for me to feel that way about anyway? Robert keeps us confined here most of the time, so I couldn't meet anyone even if I wanted to.'

_"Fine, I won't. I doubt I could fit through that small opening anyway." Happy with his answer, Rei smiled and brought his head down onto Kai's shoulder as he sighed in relief. He had no idea his action had made the older boy shiver; Rei just liked the warmth and feel of his skin._

'Kai?! Now I _know_ I'm losing it. We're barely friends, and besides…he's a bounty hunter. What kind of love could grow from a hunter and the hunted?' About a second after that thought had processed in his mind, Rei sighed and mentally kicked himself. He had used the 'L' word. 

~*~

            The train rattled along its squeaky tracks as it crawled to the next town. The passengers paid no heed to the infrequent bump or jostle, it seemed ordinary to most of the daily commuters anyway. While it did shock the newcomers, they didn't complain, after all, this was the fastest way to the neighboring town without the aid of a mythical creature. 

            One occupant was getting quite frustrated though. The 'occasional' jerks of the train continuously disrupted her writing and contemplation. Her classmates were talking good-naturedly in front of her and seemed unconscious to the ups and downs of this 'magnificent' machine. 

            "Oh!" The recent bump had caused her to write off of the page. "Stupid train…" She muttered under her breath as she went to fix it with her stubby eraser. "I might as well do this when I get to town." With that she closed her notebook and stared out the window. "There's no use attempting to do it now." 

            "I've never known you to be a quitter, Emily." Turning her head, she managed a small smile as Robert, one of her teacher's assistants, took a seat next to her. "You usually finish a problem no matter what."

            "Yea, but this is different. I was just trying to figure out something my friend, Kenny, told me earlier. It's not that important. I can do it later." He nodded.

            "Now that you mention it, why didn't Kenny come along? I thought he'd be the first to sign up for this trip." She sighed and began tapping her pencil against the cover of her notebook. 

            "He was going to be…until his friend came. Since she arrived all he's done is spend time with her."

            "Someone from class?"

            Emily tilted her head. "She's in the environmental studies class. I know that she's learning about the Umber Woods and its creatures, but her costume was quite unusual." He glanced at her. 

            "Her costume?" Nodding, the orange-haired girl began telling Robert all about 'Deliah' and her unusual outfit. While the older boy seemed to be paying full attention, with each new detail she described, he began wondering if this girl was really who she claimed to be. 

            'Why would a faerie cross into town and make herself known? More importantly, how did she get Lady Eleanor's permission and change into human form?' Emily continued talking and Robert leaned back in his seat. 'I hope this has nothing to do with Rei or Max.' He shook his head lightly. 'No, even _they _couldn't pull this off. I must be jumping to conclusions too quickly.' 

            Though their topic of conversation stayed on Kenny's new friend and her almost-suspicious qualities, it soon changed to what they would be doing the next day as they neared their destination, Amidaru town. 

~*~ 

            Rei absentmindedly toyed with his wrap of hair as he leaned against the tree trunk, his golden eyes staring impassively into the dark, starlit sky. Max slept peacefully nearby, wrapped in his own fluffy wings. The raven-haired boy occasionally checked on him, but every time he did, his mind would wander to their conversation earlier. It was all that he could think about. No matter what he did the rest of the day, his thoughts centered on Max's words and his reaction.

            'Why am I even thinking about it? It's late…I got to get some sleep, otherwise I'll be late tomorrow.' Sighing, Rei muttered a cruse under his breath. What would happen tomorrow when he went to meet up with Kai? If he couldn't stop thinking about the bluenette now, how would he fair during their lesson? Especially with the discovery of Kai's ability and what triggers it, Rei was sure things weren't going to go well for him and his rampant thoughts and emotions. 

            He shook his head. 'Max said something simple and frivolous, I'm just overanalyzing it.' He told himself, trying to sway what his instincts urged him to admit. Rei drew his knees up to his chest and rested his arms on them. 'I bet I'll forget all about this in the morning.' Truthfully, Rei knew that wasn't going to happen. His mind revolved around the idea of him actually having feelings for Kai; there was no way he would be able to disregard it if the older boy was near him, talking to him, touching him to talk to Dranzer…

            Dropping his head onto his arms, he groaned. "I am _not_ falling for a hunter…" It was barely above a whisper, but he feared that was already too loud. Saying it gave it a form; it was the first sign of sure denial. There wouldn't be much rest for Rei tonight; that was unbelievably obvious. 

~*~ Next morning

            Kai walked through town rather slowly the following morning. Despite his normal amount of rest, he was exhausted from the tossing he did last night. Put simply, he didn't sleep. Why? Though he wouldn't admit it to himself, the stoic hunter had been thinking (or obsessing) about his previous lesson with Rei. 

            He suppressed a yawn as he neared the entrance to the forest. 'Damn. What was I doing? I shouldn't be dwelling on something that's already happened. Not that I was, looking at Dranzer just reminded me about it. Reminded me about my ability, how it's activated, the warm feel of Rei's soft sk--' Kai stopped, which alarmed the weary Dranzer, who sat on his shoulder, nodding on and off. Because the older boy had experienced a fluke case of insomnia, she couldn't sleep either. She could sense his restlessness, and willed herself to stay awake and try to calm him down until he could sleep again.

            {Master Kai? What's wrong?} The bluenette shook his head and resumed his pace. His faithful phoenix remained silent; any questions now would only fall deaf to his ears. 

            'I need to forget about him. I have to remember why I'm doing all of this in the first place. Anything I feel doesn't matter, in the end, he'll be in Tala's hands.' Kai barely acknowledged the fact that he had entered the Umber Woods already; his mind was focused on his thoughts. 'I have to concentrate on getting Rei's absolute trust. Then I can finish my job and move on.' Breaking from his deliberation and taking in his surroundings, he changed direction and headed for the cave. It was almost time. "What I feel for him means nothing, I'm only deluding myself." He mumbled.

            Dranzer lowered her head. She couldn't catch everything, but what he said couldn't have been anything good. {When will you start putting yourself before your responsibilities?} She got a response, but it wasn't one she had hoped for. A sensation coursed through the phoenix as they went deeper into the forest…something didn't seem right. Then she noticed it. {What?!} Taking flight from the boy's shoulder, Dranzer turned about and rammed her head into Kai's middle, effectively stopping him. 

            He finally escaped his daze-state and eyed her a bit angrily. "Dranzer, what are you doing?" She chirped at him, trying to make him see the whole picture. He scanned the area and shook his head. "What?" Giving an exasperated sigh (If possible) she flew near one of the trees and landed rather roughly on the ground. Less than a second later, it collapsed. If she didn't know it was going to happen, the bird would have fallen victim to the trap. 

            Kai mentally kicked himself for being so unobservant. His thoughts of Rei had completely thrown him off. "Thank you, Dranzer." She quickly regained her happy demeanor and returned to his shoulder, grateful that the old Kai had regained control. "A ground trap?" Walking around it, the bluenette became aware of the multiple number of traps strewn about the forest floor. Not to mention the increased quantity of aerial snares hidden among the leaves. "Who would…?" Kai's crimson eyes narrowed upon realization. "Johnny…" 

            Lightly tugging at his scarf, he stormed off towards his destination, taking note of the traps and avoiding them easily. Though this new revelation had taken his mind off of Rei, it wasn't much better. Not only did he have to destroy the snares, he also had to find the middle-class hunter and set things straight. Kai couldn't afford to waste anymore time. The first and most efficient solution that came to his mind was getting Rei to help…then again…

            "Just wait, he'll think I set these up and am trying to catch him with one." Dranzer tilted her head in confusion. The only word that she understood was the boy's name. 

            {Master Kai?} 

            "Never mind." Like it or not, the bluenette needed the boy now. There was no avoiding him. "Sabotage." He muttered. "It's like someone is bringing us together on purpose…" Spotting the waterfall, he turned and glanced up, his aggravated crimson eyes searching for the cave. 

~*~

            Thanks for the notice, Rei! Could you have given me _anymore_ of a heads up?! Trygle spat, sarcasm dripping from his exasperated tone. Rei sprinted below him, hastily tying his headband around his forehead as he made his way to the cave.

            "Look, I already told you that I'm sorry, ok?! I…I didn't get much sleep last night and my body decided to bath in the sunlight a bit longer than usual." His answer was a tad understated. The raven-haired boy's musings about his situation with Kai had driven rest out of his system for many hours the previous night. He had promptly shut down the moment he paused to check on Max and even then spent the early morning in an uncomfortable slumber. 

            "Besides, who made me your alarm clock? You know when I'm supposed to meet Kai, why didn't _you _wake _me_ up?! Why weren't you _already_ awake?!" 

            The eagle huffed and descended a bit. I forgot, ok? It's not like I've been doing this for months or anything. That and…I like sleeping in. With that said and their journey to the cave coming to an end, Trygle extended his wings and began climbing up the sky, leaving Rei alone to fume.

            "Lazy! You are _so_ indolent, you hypocrite!" He would have yelled it out, but since he was doing this against Robert's will (And Grypholyion's for that matter), there was no need to voice his opinion in that manner. Their babysitter was already gone, as it seems this was the time he went to check on everything. Hopefully Max would remember to cover for him again. 

            Finally reaching the mountainside, the half-breed gracefully ascended the rocky slope and met the golden bird at the entrance. Even then they didn't let up. The two were probably very late, so they continued their dash through the cave, only relenting when the doorway stopped them. In a sloppy conduct, Trygle and Rei pushed the boulders away, went through, and arrived to…an empty cave. Both immediately collapsed. 

            Trygle flapped his wings in a tantrum-like manner. I…I can't believe it! We rush over like mad and they…they aren't even here!!! Slowly getting up and leaning against the wall instead (2), Rei brushed strands of his wind-blown hair away from his face (His hair is out of the binding, as he had no time to redo it). 

            "W-Well, at least we aren't…late…" The livid eagle glared daggers at the panting boy. 

            If…If I wasn't so tired…I'd hurt you… Rei managed a smile and stood, his breathing beginning to return to normal.

            "Like you could…" 

            {Don't tell me you two are going to argue.} Both turned to see Dranzer flying towards them. {Where have you boys been? Master Kai and I have been waiting for you for a while.} Despite his fatigue, Trygle managed to get off the ground and flew next to her.

            What are you talking about? You just got here. 

She shook her head. {No, Master Kai and I have been waiting for you two. He's down on the ground. He needs to talk with you Rei-neko.} The raven-haired boy shook his head without hesitation.

"I can't, Dranzer. I…I can't leave the mountain." There was no point giving away his real reason if he didn't need to. As expected, she didn't accept it. 

{But it's very important. You have to come down.} Trygle eyed the boy curiously. Would he crack and break his promise to Robert? 

"I'm sorry Dranzer, but I will _not_ leave this mountain."

{Why?} She persisted.

The young boy scratched his neck. "I just can't." Narrowing her eyes suspiciously, the phoenix turned around.

{Fine, but you'll have to explain it to Master Kai yourself.} 

Rei lowered his head with a sigh. "I know…" When Dranzer returned to Kai, Trygle retreated to the nervous half-breed. 

Rei, you aren't going to go, are you? He shrugged, biting on his bottom lip in frustration. 

"I don't know…"

You can't. Didn't you tell Robert that you wouldn't? He nodded. Then I guess you'll have to come up with some excuse for that hunter. 

Rei ran a hand through his dark tresses. "That's what I'm dreading…" A rather loud whistle caught Rei's sensitive ears and he walked over to the edge of the cave. Kneeling, he peered over. He was right; it was Kai. The bluenette motioned for him to come down, but he shook his head firmly. 

Kai glared at him. "What does he think he's doing?" Glancing around to make sure no was around, he decided to call out to him. "Rei, get down here." A bit worried about whether or not his voice would carry, the boy simply shook his head again. Then he signaled for the older boy to come up instead. "Why?" The stubborn half-breed didn't respond. He merely gestured for him to meet him. Cursing, Kai grabbed onto Dranzer's legs and whistled for her to bring him up. 

{You're kidding, right?} His inexorable stare proven her wrong, and with all her might, she flapped her blood-red wings and lifted them off the ground. {You owe me a lot, Master Kai…} It was easier than she had originally thought, however, her body was a bit worn when she reached the top. 

Rei goggled at the sight of a half-grown phoenix lifting a teenage human up that high. "Kai…how could you make Dranzer do that?!" 

Once safely in the cave, he let go of her talons and landed softly. "Well you wouldn't come down and I had to make it fast." His devoted phoenix practically fell onto the bluenette's shoulder and he massaged her in an affectionate style. "Thank you." He whispered, her response being a knowing chirp.

"Sometimes I wonder why she puts up with you." 

Kai glared at him and pretended that he didn't hear that. "Rei, why didn't you come down when Dranzer asked?" Turning away slightly, Rei replied in a quiet tone.

"Because I can't." Walking up to him, Kai tilted his head and met his wavering gaze.

"Rei…" As the half-breed moved away again, the bluenette couldn't ignore the sight of the boy's falling hair, or the brief touch when it grazed his fingers. Kai backed away and shook his head. "Rei, I need you to come down, there's something we have to do." The raven-haired boy absentmindedly rubbed his arm.

"Kai, I can't. Whatever it is, just take care of it yourself." Pushing his long hair over his shoulder, he headed back towards the hole in the mountain. "If it's that important, we can just pick up the lesson tomorrow, ok?" Apparently it wasn't ok. 

"I need your help." Once again, the older boy's hand had found its way to Rei's and grasped it lightly. "My half of the deal requires to me keep Max out of harm. I'm fulfilling it, but I need a bit of assistance for this part." Glancing over his shoulder, Rei stared at him. At the mention of his angel's name, he took interest.

"What do you mean?" Walking slowly, Kai began leading the hesitant boy away from the exit and closer to the entrance of the cave. 

"It seems some hunter has either seen Max or heard of him because there are some high-tech aerial traps set in my side of the forest for him." Golden eyes widened in alarm.

"How do you know they're for him?" His voice was laced with worry, which caused Kai's mahogany eyes to dim.

"Because the pressure is set for a large creature, and I'm betting that's Max." When they reached the edge, the bluenette sighed. "Look, I'll explain how they work later. The snares can be destroyed, or at least disabled, but there are too many. That's where you come in. Help me take them down and afterwards, I'll go talk with the hunter who put them up." 

Rei's ears twitched a bit. "You…know who it is?" 

He nodded. "I have a fairly good idea." There was no need to tell him who it was; that would just distract the boy. "Are you going to help me or not?" Rei would have answered with a strong 'yes' in a heartbeat if it weren't for the promise he had made to Robert. The raven-haired boy loved razing those terrible snares, especially for Max, but…

"I-I can't." Kai was a bit taken aback. He thought the boy would jump at the chance to wreak a little havoc against hunters, so why was he declining?

"Why not? These are the traps that you hate, the ones that endanger your friends' lives. What's stopping you?" Rei looked away, asking Trygle for help. He stepped up for him.

Listen hotshot, if Rei doesn't want to, then you can't make him. He has his reasons, right kid? He nodded.

Kai turned to the eagle. "This is for Max's safety, as well as the safety of other Umber Wood creatures such as yourself. Isn't that reason enough?" 

Rei bit his lip. "I want to Kai, I really do…" The bluenette pulled at his arm.

"Then let's go. We got to start now when it's early and most people are still in town." The younger shook his head, which was beginning to hurt from all the arguing going on inside and outside.

"No." Using his other hand, he removed himself from Kai's grip. Being a little too forceful, he fell down. "Do it yourself." Kai couldn't believe this. The blonde's life was involved and he wasn't making a move to help. 

The older boy shook his head. "Fine. If you don't have a problem with this, then I'll just leave. And the traps can stay up for all I care." Rei glanced at him. "Since you aren't going to hassle me about it, why should I waste my time taking them down? Who knows, maybe they'll actually catch something." He kneeled down and prepared to climb down. "See you tomorrow. Oh, and I hope Max has the same resolve as you to stay on your side of the mountain, because if he crosses over, there'll be one less half-breed for me to keep track of." After the older boy disappeared, Dranzer nodded to them and flew after the boy, leaving Rei to ponder over it. 

Kai's indifferent words hit him hard. He didn't know Kai was going to leave the snares up. Just the opposite, he thought the bluenette would take them down without his help. He really didn't care. 

Rei growled and slammed his fist into the ground, his ears vanishing as waves of black hair covered them. 'He was only going to do it because our deal forced him to. But since I'm not helping, he's quitting? He can't do that. It's his job to keep Max out of danger!' His eyes slitted in realization and his claws unconsciously came out. 'That hunter. I'm not going to let him sneak out of the deal that easily.' Seeing that glint in Rei's eyes, Trygle flew over to him.

Rei, don't tell me you're going… The raven-haired boy smirked. You can't! You promised Robert that you wouldn't cross over! 

"Yea well, I made this pact with Kai _before_ I talked to Robert, so technically it takes precedence over the other." The eagle nearly fell.

That is _not_ how it works!!! Rei began his way down the mountainside and Trygle dove after him. Rei, stop! 

"Listen Trygle, it's not just that. Max's life is in danger and I will not sit back and let some hunter litter the forest with his despicable traps." He glanced down and continued his trip. "Kai's right, all the creatures are in danger. I need to protect them."

Trygle whined. Rei…

"Are you coming or not?" 

Giving up, the eagle followed. But this is supposed to be Dragoon's job… He couldn't let Rei go without him. In this side of the forest, the boy was vulnerable. And he knew Grypholyion and Driger would be after his blood if anything happened to the youth. 

            Already on the ground, Kai wiped the dirt off of his hands and brushed some of it off his pants. "Stubborn half-breed…" He readjusted his scarf and waited for Dranzer to come down. "If he doesn't care, then why should I?" 

            "Because it's part of our deal!" 

            "Hn?" Kai glanced up and saw Rei coming down. He suppressed a grin. 

            When the raven-haired boy reached the bottom, he walked up to the bluenette and pointed accusingly at him. "We had an agreement, Kai. You have to keep Max safe, and if that means taking down all these traps, then you're going to do it! I don't care if I have to baby-sit you; you are going to remove them!" Grabbing the boy's wrist and parrying it away, Kai stared at him for a while before answering. 

            "I know that. I was just asking for a little help." Rei blinked. "Shall we get started?" The boy fumed a bit…he had been tricked. His temper and pride had always been his downfall, and here was another example. Kai had gotten under his skin with his trademark cold attitude and Rei had reacted. There was no need for physical fighting anymore. Since the older boy had discovered this useful technique, all he had to do was weave his words around the younger boy and wait.

            Though, there was always a little repercussion. And Dranzer decided to cut in before it happened. {Now that we are all down here, why don't you explain how the traps work, Master Kai?} Taking his cue, Kai led Rei a little way into the forest, where most of the snares were found. 

            "Uh…" It was then that Rei dropped his anger and noticed that the bluenette still had control over his wrist, and he tried to pull away. It wasn't that the feeling wasn't nice; it was just…Rei wasn't too confident about how his body would react to things in this state. "Kai, do you mind?" He motioned to the contact. "I'm not going to leave."

            "I know that, but the pigeon needs to hear about this too. That way he can help. And while you could explain it to him later, this just saves us time." 

            {Well…that's _one_ reason…} Dranzer muttered under her breath. Kai ignored it and began telling the two about the aerial traps first, those were the easiest ones to disable. All they needed to do was destroy the electric trigger in the largest weight attached to the net, and then cut the string holding the barometer. Kai would dispose of the collected nets later. As for the ground traps, they were a bit harder to take out. The snare itself was easy, but locating it was the difficult part. About ninety percent of them were marked with small sensors resembling mushrooms. They were distinguished from regular mushrooms by their orange spots (The regular ones there were red). After disabling that, the pitfall was harmless. It wouldn't activate, so they could be left alone. 

            "I'd guess there are about 150 aerial traps and 100 ground ones in the immediate area." 

            Rei sighed. "There's no way we can take out all of them in one day. The way you described them, we'll miss about half of the ground ones and fall into a quarter of them." Kai squeezed his hand reassuringly.

            "We don't need to worry so much about the ground ones. It's the aerial ones we have to worry about. Those are easier to remove, and if we work quick and efficiently, we'll have taken out the ones closest to the mountain." Rei glanced at him. "We don't need to demolish every one of them, so don't work that way. Chances are you'll get trapped in one if you concentrate on ridding the forest of them all." 

            Nodding, Rei turned to Trygle. "You got all that, Trygle?" 

            He took flight from where he was on Rei's shoulder and started looking around the forest. Don't worry about me, Rei. I'll be fine. Before taking off, he asked Rei one last question. Uh…you're sure none of those thingies are set for my pressure, right? Because…I can be pretty strong when I wanna be. 

            The raven-haired boy contained his laughter. "Yea, I'm sure." He quickly turned away and chuckled as Trygle accompanied Dranzer.

            Laugh it up, Rei. Laugh it up… He proceeded into the forest, with the phoenix in toe. 

            {Don't worry; I'll look after him.} She quickly caught up with him, and the sound of attacks commenced. Smiling, Rei freed himself of Kai's grip and started into the woods.

            "Ok, let's do this already."

            "Rei, wait. There's something about the ground traps I forgot to tell you about…"

            He shook his head. "I heard you before. Orange spots…I got it."

            Kai tailed him. "No, it's not that. Some of the ground traps can't be identified with the mushrooms. A couple of them are virtually invisible to us."

            Rei glanced over his shoulder, a knowing smile on his face. "Kai, you may not realize it, but with my ears, claws, and tail came impeccable senses. If there's a trick, I'll see it a mile a—ah!!" The ground practically opened underneath him and prepared to swallow him.

            "Rei!" Swiftly reaching over, Kai wrapped his arms around the boy's chest and leaned back to steady himself.   
            "Ehh…" Staring down what seemed like a bottomless pit, Rei gasped and grabbed one of Kai's hands out of reflex. After regaining his breath, he spoke. "…Thanks…" 

            Kai smirked, whispering a soft "I told you so…" right next to one of the boy's sensitive ears. The half-breed shivered from the warm sensation and leaned closer to him. 

"Ka-" He stopped midway when he noticed a net that was suspended a few inches under his feet. "What's that?"

            Lifting his head from Rei's soft hair, he glanced down. "Hn?" Before an answer came, another problem arose. From the opposite end of the hole, a wiry cage lid began closing the top of the pit, nearing the raven-haired boy's body with each passing moment. 

            "Uh…Kai…!" Eyeing the moving bars, the bluenette cursed. Pushing off the ground, Kai pulled Rei out of the deep ditch one or two seconds before the cover sealed off the hole. Hoping that there were no more surprises attached to the trap, both relaxed. "…Thanks…again…"

            "I _really_ wish you'd listen to me…it would certainly make my job a lot easier…" Smiling into the bluenette's stomach, Rei laughed.

            "But where's the fun in that?" Awareness of their positions obviously hadn't registered in either's mind yet, as they seemed quite content. And why shouldn't they? Rei was lying on his side, cushioned by the bluenette's body, and the older boy's arms were holding the half-breed safely around the chest. Perfect. Too bad they had to notice and ruin the scene (For every R/K fangirl out there…). 

            'Wait a minute…'

            'Oh no, don't tell me I'm…' Quickly letting go, Kai waited for Rei to sit up, which he did about half a second later. Both stood up, turned away from each other and dusting themselves off. 

            'I shouldn't have saved him. He would have been ok.' Feeling the heat in his cheeks, Kai cursed at himself. 'No…I wouldn't have let him fall. I don't want him to get hurt.' He tugged at his scarf, a bit uncomfortable. 'Damn it…what the hell did he do to me?! I wasn't like this before…' 

            Rei combed the tangles and stray leaves out of his hair, which he had yet to wrap up. 'Great job Rei. Now he probably thinks I'm the clumsiest person in the world!' Tearing off another piece of his sash, Rei began to tie his hair up into a ponytail. It was better than nothing. He certainly couldn't go the rest of the day with it hanging loose like that. 'Wait, why do I even care what he thinks? Is…is it because he might care about me?' Shaking his head, he made a knot and smoothed out the rest of his hair. 'No, he only saved me because…well, because he needs my help. And it would be a lot more work getting me out anyway.'

            Each satisfied (more of less) with their inferences, they turned to face each other. Rei started since Kai seemed a bit startled. "Um…I'll be more careful. I didn't mean to trouble you." 

            The bluenette nodded and desperately suppressed a smile. During Rei's apology, he concluded that the younger boy looked quite cute with his hair tied back like that. "It was no problem." He mumbled as he walked over to the trap. "At least you know how it works now. Once something falls in, that net catches it and tangles it up, bringing it straight to the bottom. Then the cover traps it inside." He glanced around and made his way to a bush nearby. He reached in and pulled out a small green box. "And this, is the trigger." He held it out so that Rei could see it and then crushed it in his fist. "Destroy this and the snare will be harmless, ok?"

            Nodding, Rei watched as the boy let the pieces drop through the mesh openings of the wiry cover. "I won't get caught off guard again, don't worry."

            Kai smirked. "Good. I'd hate to spend the day fishing you out of them." Rei raised an eyebrow and hit him playfully with his tail.

            *CWAAR* 

            "Dranzer?" They both said in unison. Carefully avoiding any possible ground snares, the two slowly headed towards the phoenix, hoping she hadn't been caught. 

            Kai had reached her first, and sighed upon the sight he saw. "…" 

            Rei slapped his forehead lightly. "…Trygle…" By the looks of it, Trygle had tried to take out another aerial trap, but it fell on top of him. He was also carrying the other nets they had removed earlier so it was a tangled mess. Stepping forward, the raven-haired boy began freeing him. "Man…you're embarrassing me…"

            Can you just drop the jests and hurry?! I feel like a fish in here! Shaking his head, Kai kneeled down and helped out while Dranzer searched and destroyed any nearby ground traps. It was going to be a long day…

~*~*~*~

(1) No offence to any Johnny fan-people, I just need someone that Kai dislikes (that's a short list ^_^). He's ok with me. Flame if you must, but make it constructive ^^

(2) Just a word of advice…don't sit or lie down after running long distance or anything of the such. It isn't good for your heart. 

SS-All right, I'm done for today. Hope everyone enjoyed what my imagination and sheep muses cooked up. Oh, and please excuse my grammar and/or spelling errors…I looked it over, but some always manage to sneak away from me. ^^;; Guess I'll see you next time! Tootles!

Tym-Yea, and next time _might_ be a bit longer. See, the authoress (aka my caretaker person) is on Spring Break now, that's why the installment came out quicker. She'll continue of course, it'll just take a little longer since school will be starting up again. Anyway, thanks for reading and please review! It could get chapter 10 out faster. *hint hint* ^.\/.^ This is Sleepy Sheep's dino-digi saying…Ashes! 


	11. The turnaround

SS-Hi everyone! crickets chirp Yes, it's been a very long time, and I'm very sorry (especially since the last two chapters came within a week of each other)!! I won't keep you waiting any longer or bore you with explanations, just enjoy this too-long-for-my-own-good chapter…

Tym-She's serious; she's not even letting me get my word in…

...

Loving Legends

Chapter 10 – The turn-around

Disclaimer: See one of the previous chapters please.

Don't mind my grammar errors, my friend read through this for me, but I'm not sure if she got them all. And this is the first time I'm using this quick edit thing, and some of my symbols are off. The scene changes are different, as you can tell, and some other changes are...

Grypholyion ()this()

Wolborg "regular quotation marks"

...

Freeing Trygle from the tangle of nets didn't take too long, so the little crew continued their job in no time. Kai kept the disabled nets (as he was the only one who was familiar with the traps and could dispose of them later) and stayed close to Rei, unwilling to let him fall victim to another hidden trap.

More than an hour of time had passed (a lot more than an hour) and the group had already cleared a good portion of the forest. The bluenette guessed that they had taken down one third of the traps altogether. It wasn't too bad…for their first day.

"Hmm…" Rei straightened his clothes as he stood up. It had taken him a few minutes to find and destroy the mushroom that controlled that trap and he had unwisely crouched the entire time. His back ached a bit, but at least it would go away in time.

'That definitely wasn't the smartest thing I've ever done…' The raven-haired boy leaned backwards, stretching the pain away. 'Hm…I wonder how many we've taken down?' He decided to voice his question. Turning around, he walked over to Kai, who was practically killing the control box veiled by the bushes. "Hey Kai?"

The older boy glanced at him. "Hn?"

Rei rested his hands behind his neck. "How many traps do you think we've disabled? I mean, it has been an hour…"

Kai shrugged. "I'm not sure, but probably eighty or so."

Rei blinked in surprise. "Really?" He knew that most of the traps were pretty easy to take down, but eighty…out of all of them? That was pretty good. "Wow, that's not too bad."

The bluenette nodded. "Well, Dranzer and the pigeon are helping us, which virtually cuts our time in half." The half-breed agreed. "And we've been out here for almost two hours so--"

Rei gasped. Two hours??! When did two hours pass them?! "…We…we've doing this for two _whole_ hours…?" He asked in a tentative voice.

Kai shrugged. "Just about. Didn't you realize it?" The younger shook his head incredulously.

"A-Are you sure you don't mean…an hour and two minutes?"

Kai stared at him. "What's wrong, Rei? You don't look too well." It was true. The raven-haired boy was tense, pale, and shaking slightly. His mind was shouting at him, telling him to leave if he _ever_ wanted to see Kai's face again.

'Two hours?! Max's is probably worried sick! And Grypholyion…oh no…he must be…and if he asks Max…'

"Rei." He blinked at the touch of Kai's hand on his shoulder. "What are you--"

"I…I really got to go." He shrugged off the older boy's hand and turned to leave, ready to sprint at any second.

"But what about--"

Rei stopped and pivoted. "No, I just…let's say…I'm really late." He was about to take off until another thought came to mind. 'After this, Grypholyion will most likely be really suspicious about where I go in the morning. I got to throw him off. Maybe I can meet Kai a little later tomorrow…'

The half-breed gently bit his lip. "Uh, Kai…"

"Hn?"

"Tomorrow…uh, tomorrow, how about we meet a bit later…?" The older boy raised an eyebrow.

"Why?"

He glanced into Kai's curious crimson eyes. "I just, need to…" Intentional or not Rei's golden orbs shone with brilliance, which made the bluenette blink in surprise. "…around sunset maybe?" No just wasn't an option at that point. There was something about the raven-haired boy's look that made him want to smile. Though he didn't. All the same, Kai doubted he could deny Rei anything at that point.

Waving his hand in a casual manner, he agreed. "Fine by me. I have things to do anyway."

Rei smiled. "Thanks." He turned towards the forest, almost forgetting something…someone… "Trygle!"

… Rei scratched his cheek and cupped his hand around his mouth, hoping to get the eagle's attention by increasing the volume of his voice.

"Trygle! C'mon, let's go! We're _really_ late!"

…Yea, I'll meet ya there…I uh, need to finish something up first. 

Shrugging, Rei began heading back, his light jog changing to a sprint. "Bye, Kai! Don't forget tomorrow!" Seeing the boy off, the hunter stood alone, waiting for Dranzer to show up. There, without witnesses, he grinned.

Rei tentatively poked his head above the water of the lake. So far, no one had seen him, not even Draciel (though the turtle wasn't even in the lake at the time). He scanned the immediate area. With a sigh of relief, he slowly raised himself out of the water and shook off the excess water.

"Looks like luck is with me today." He said with a smile.

[I'd think twice about that statement, little Rei.] Rei froze. It wasn't Grypholyion, but still, being called 'little Rei' was never a good sign. [Don't pretend that you didn't hear me.] The raven-haired boy mechanically turned around, greeted by an obviously aggravated Driger. The tiger was sitting in the forest, covered by the trees' immense darkness, giving him a grave appearance.

Rei noticed that he wasn't in a playful mood at all, and his hard, golden glare never faltered. He got up and began walking away. [You have must have quite a story to tell. Mine as well tell it in front of everyone.] Though Driger hadn't said it, Rei knew he had to go and followed without a word. All the while he was kicking himself for not noticing how much time had passed.

'I didn't think Driger would be mad at me. Then again, I haven't talked to him about much of this…' He sighed. 'I hope Max wasn't too worried.'

They arrived in the small clearing by the tree in a matter of minutes, and sure enough, once Max had seen him, he launched himself into him. "Rei! You're back!"

Rei frowned. 'Guess he was really worried.' The older boy patted his back. "Sorry if I scared you, Maxie. I didn't realize how much time had gone by. I didn't mean to worry you."

"Heh, I wasn't too worried, I knew you'd be ok…" Still holding onto the blonde, Rei raised his head and looked at the others who were also there.

He was surprised to see Wolborg had made his way down here. Even more shocking was that the white wolf was arguing with Trygle. 'When did he get back?! Wasn't I ahead of him?'

"How could you be so careless?! You were supposed to watch after Rei!" Wolborg barked at him.

For your information, I was watching after him! He got here in one piece, didn't he?! 

"If he hadn't decided to come back on his own, Grypholyion could have found out, hence, Robert would also know! You should have been paying closer attention to the time!"

Trygle flapped his wings indignantly. Do I look like the sun? How could I have known what time it was?! 

Rei sighed. So they were arguing about it already. He figured it would happen sooner or later…

[Ahem.] Driger interrupted their dispute as he stood between them. [Would you two please stop your bickering? Rei is here now. He is safe and that is all that matters.] That was the first time Wolborg had taken notice of the half-breed's return and he quickly rushed to his side.

"Little kitty, you're all right." He nuzzled Rei's neck, happy to see that he wasn't harmed.

Rei nodded with a weak smile. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You were gone for so long, and with that hunter no less." He shook his head. "You had me worried sick! I was ready to cross over and find you but then this pigeon came back and told us that you were returning." He motioned to Trygle, who was glared at him.

Tilting his head down almost dejectedly, Rei turned to address them all. "Look everyone, I'm really sorry. I lost track of time, is all. Nothing happened. I was so caught up in the traps that I forgot to send Trygle back to tell you I might be late…"

Driger's head snapped up. [Traps? You were working with hunters…and traps?!]

Blinking, Rei quickly waved his hands and shook his head. "No, no, it's not what you think! See, there was just, one hunter," He held up his index finger for emphasis. "Kai. Remember? The one with blue hair and the phoenix."

Driger grunted. [Oh yes, Dranzer or something…]

The raven-haired boy nodded nervously. "Yea. Anyway, there were a bunch of traps set up in the forest, so we began taking them down."

"By yourselves?! You could have gotten caught!" Wolborg practically roared.

[I have to agree with him, Rei. What were you thinking?! Not only could you have fallen victim to one of those traps, but that…Kai person could have easily turned on you and captured you himself! How could you?!]

"He wouldn't do that, Driger!"

"How do you know, Rei?" The older boy was surprised at Max's question. He knew that Driger and Wolborg would be protective, but Max knows that he trusts Kai, doesn't he?

"Max…" He whispered incredulously.

"I…I know that you guys are ok now, but you should be careful…around the traps I mean." He was trying to stay on Rei's good side, while getting his point across. "We don't know much about them. _They're_ dangerous." There wasn't too much emphasis on "they", but the raven-haired boy caught it. He knew Max was indeed doubtful of Kai, but for the sake of appearance, spoke as if the traps were the dodgy things.

Rei furrowed his brows. "Trygle was with me, he'd help me if I needed it."

"Pff…" Wolborg didn't even glance at the eagle. However, they soon got swept up in another fight. Max frowned, unsure of how to break them up. Driger, meanwhile, stepped up to Rei.

[Rei, he is a hunter. He cannot be trusted to the extent that you walk around with him in a forest filled with traps.]

"But-"

[But I don't know him, right? Rei, taking down the traps is the right thing, but alongside a hunter, well…I think you should do some thinking before you go out there again.] Rei's ears fell and his tail stopped flicking.

"Driger," His voice dropped to a whisper. "I trust him. I know he's a hunter, and I still hate what he _does_, but I don't think I hate _him_." The tiger took a seat. "I'll always be careful, I'm not going to get swept up by those snares. You know I'm smarter than that." The look of disbelief in Driger's eyes didn't waver. It seemed impossible to convince the creature otherwise.

Rei dropped to his knees and hugged the tiger around the neck. "Don't worry about me. I'm a big boy."

[…]

"I'm going back tomorrow, but around sunset. I have a feeling Grypholyion is really suspicious, so I'm going to throw him off a bit." He smiled into his white fur. "Can you and Max cover for me if he comes looking?"

[What?] Driger pulled away, amazed that Rei had the audacity to ask such a thing of him after all the worrying he had just put him through.

"Just in case. You may not have to."

Driger snarled. [Rei, do you even remember the little dispute we had no more than a moment ago?! How can you even think about going back, or even asking favors of me after I had been so worried?!]

"Because I know you want me to be happy."

Driger blinked. Happy? [Oh, don't tell me…the hunter…] The smile on Rei's face was enough of an answer. [Rei…] He whined.

"One hour. Please? I promise that I'll be back in one hour."

The tiger growled in annoyance. He glanced at the half-breed's innocent face and turned his head to the side. [You…] He caught the boy's gaze from the corner of his eye. [You really trust him, don't you?]

"If he wanted to catch me, he would have already." After some contemplation, and a long shake of the head, Driger nodded.

[If it'll make you happy…]

Rei wrapped his arms around Driger's neck and laughed. "Thank you!" The delight in his voice caught Wolborg, Trygle, and Max's attention.

"Thank you? Driger, what did you promise him this time?" Wolborg groaned. The tiger maybe fierce, but he held a humongous soft spot for the kitten.

Picking himself up, Rei jogged over to Wolborg. "I know that you're just trying to keep me safe, but tomorrow I'm going back to take down more traps." He quickly covered the wolf's mouth with his hand, keeping him from replying. "I know, I know, I shouldn't trust Kai, but you don't know him. And besides, Trygle will be there so if anything goes wrong (knock on wood), he'll be there to help." Before Trygle could get his word in, Rei shushed him. "Yes, you will be there."

Driger chuckled. [You sure know how to command your audience, Rei.]

"It's in my blood." He decided to take off while he could, so he turned for Robert's cave. After all, he had a lot of explaining to do with Grypholyion. "Thanks for understanding!"

Max smiled; impressed by Rei's finesse, and that he was getting along with Kai. He wasn't sure if they'd ever get on good grounds, and was glad that he had made friends with someone outside of the Umber Woods. The only thing that worried him wasn't Rei's trust in Kai, but Kai's sincerity in this new friendship.

...

Kai shuffled through the forest floor as he steadied the pile of nets on his shoulder. Shortly after Rei had left, he had decided to leave as well. Dranzer was circling above him, going ahead every once and a while to survey the area.

He glanced up at her. "You don't have to be so cautious…" She chirped knowingly. "I know this part of the woods better than Tyson knows his food groups." He looked straight ahead, the edge of the forest already in his sights.

The town was a bit quieter now, probably since most people were busy with work or something or other. Kai was thankful for that too, since it looked a bit odd, even for him, to be walking _out_ of the Umber Woods with traps slung over his shoulder. Then out of the corner of his eye, the bluenette spotted Tyson running towards him.

"Hm." It was a little strange for Tyson to be looking for him, even more so, for his little friend Kenny to be missing. As the boy neared him, Kai stopped. "Tyson, what are you doing here? And where's Kenny?"

Said boy was a bit short of breath, and put his hand on Kai's shoulder for support. "I was…was just going to uh…into the Umber Woods." Kai eyed his suspiciously. "And Kenny is at home with Deliah, doing…I don't know, some sort of computer thing."

"Wait a minute," He shrugged Tyson off and readjusted his grip on the nets. "_You_ are going into the Umber Woods? Why?" The last part came out as a command, even though it was technically, a question.

Tyson tried to act as if it were nothing out of the ordinary. "No reason, j-just because." But he failed miserably. He wore his heart on his sleeve and couldn't hide anything if his life depended on it. Not to mention his nervous laughter was practically a sign that said: I'm up to something, but I don't want to tell you.

Kai quickly seized him up and tilted his head. "You weren't planning on going to see Max, were you?" He had only witnessed the two boys' joyful behavior around each other once or twice, but he knew from years of living with Tyson, that once he made friends with someone, it was hard for him to be apart from whoever it was. Since Max was the newest person he met (aside from Dizzi and Rei), and was a particularly unique one, it was only a matter of common sense.

"No, of course not! I just…you know, wanted to…uh…find some animals for Kenny?" Tyson was now shifting around and had one of those cheesy grins on his face. He mine as well have signed a confessional.

Kai sighed, grabbed the boy's arm with his free hand, and began dragging him back to the house. "Like _that_ little act is enough to convince me."

Tyson began struggling, but a few small spurts of fire from Dranzer told him it was useless. "K-A-I!" He whined. "Let me go! Max is my friend, is there anything wrong with visiting--" No sooner had the words left his mouth, did Kai cover the boy's mouth and shove him into the nearest alleyway. He peered around the corner, making sure no one had paid heed to Tyson's little pleads, before breathing out a sigh of relief.

After a few seconds, the younger boy pushed the bluenette's hand away and told him off. "What the hell was that about?! You probably bruised my back from that stunt!"

Kai pivoted and glared down at him. "Do you have any idea what could have happened if someone had heard you, Tyson?" He said in a deadly whisper. "What if another hunter who knows about Max had listened in? He'd follow you and let you lead him to Max, or corner you later and make you show him where he is! I know that this maybe new to you, but when you know coveted information, you can't go and run your mouth off like that--"

"Hey, lay off! I didn't say I wanted to visit my super rare Umber Wood creature friend, I just said Max. For all anyone knows, that's probably one of my buddies who goes to the Umber Woods a lot. And what other hunter? No one else knows about them, right?" Kai turned away from him. "…Right?"

"Just watch your mouth, Tyson. And do _not_ go to Max, you'll only cause more trouble." With that, the boy walked off, with Dranzer in toe.

Rubbing his back a bit, Tyson stepped out of the alley and, despite his tugging curiosity, headed to Kenny's place instead. Though Kai was very good at keeping his emotions in check, sometimes, even he lets things slip. His silence back there was more than enough to convince the boy that there was indeed another hunter who knew about Max and probably Rei, as well.

A few steps from the brunette's house, Tyson looked over his shoulder, towards the mysterious Umber Woods. 'Maxie…' Now he was beginning to worry. If he had understood Kai's silence, then who is the other hunter that's after his new friends?

...

Once he got home, Kai hurried up to his room and locked the door. He tossed the nets into his closet and sat down on the edge of his bed. 'That was close. I almost told Tyson about Johnny. Hopefully he didn't catch on.'

Dranzer pulled Kai out of his thoughts when she hopped over to him and tugged at the bag on his belt. He glanced at her and petted her red feathers. "Hungry already?" He removed the bag and opened it, letting the mint leaves spill out. "Don't tell me you're turning into Tyson." She didn't seem to notice (or understand) his comment, and began eating the leaves with a thankful chirp.

Seeing that she didn't need his company, Kai got up and reached for the phone. His train of thought had only reminded him that he needed to have a little chat with Johnny about those traps. He didn't know why he even had the redhead's number, but at the moment he was glad.

The phone rang once, and then a voice he didn't much care for answered. "Yes, who is it?"

Kai sighed. "It's me, we need to talk."

Johnny's rude manner suddenly did a 180 and became nice, as if he had been waiting for him to call. "Ah, Kai. How nice to hear from you."

"Cut the cra-" He took a deep breath and recomposed himself. " I mean, what were all those traps doing in the forest?"

"I told you before that there was no law forbidding me from putting them up, Kai."

He tried to keep his tone neutrally curious, though it was quite tempting to explode at him. "Yes, but I thought you were giving up your search for that mythic creature since you figured out that you were being led on a wild goose chase."

"Well, I was. But then I had a little chat with the man who sent me the request and he managed to turn me around on the matter. I decided to continue my little mission after all, isn't that wonderful?" His voice was dripping with false enthusiasm, which seemed like poison to Kai's ears.

"No, as a matter of fact, it isn't. Your traps keep other hunters from actual missions. I know it is none of my business, but do you really think you should waste all this time and money on searching for something that _isn't_ real?"

The bluenette heard laughter from the other end. "Oh Kai, if only you knew. I'm quite set on my assignment and none of your lies will make me think otherwise. If anything, _you're_ wasting my time, so I'll just end this little conversation now--"

"Don't you dare hang up, Johnny!"

Kai could practically see the smirk Johnny must have had. "Hm, I see you really are set on driving me away from this mission. Why do you care so much, Kai? My traps don't interfere with your jobs, so the only reason why you want me to quit is because you too, know of this creature and want to catch it yourself, isn't that right, Hiwatari?!"

Kai was about to retaliate, saying that that was all wrong, but an idea came to mind that seemed a lot more useful. "T-That's right, Johnny."

"Ha! You can't tell me other-…wait…I'm right?" Obviously the redhead thought Kai was going to disagree, but it shocked him to the core to find out that the bluenette was agreeing.

"Yes. I knew of this creature before you even heard of it. I even have a buyer waiting on me, but your stupid traps have littering the forest! The creature won't come out; it's too smart. So if I want to collect my bounty, I need _you_ to step out and remove your ridiculously useless snares!" It wasn't hard for Kai to put feeling behind his words, especially since they were true.

"Well, I…" Johnny wasn't prepared for this, but came up with an idea anyway. "Well tough luck, Kai. My request came from a rich buyer, so don't expect me to bow out gracefully."

"Yes, I already know about your requester. Remember, I told you he asked me before he asked you, and I know that he doesn't have the money to back up his words." Ok, so that wasn't true, but if he sounded confident enough, he could pull it off.

"O-Oh yea? Uh…"

"All right, Johnny, I have an idea. Why don't we all meet…you, this mysterious buyer, and me? We can get together tonight and talk about this situation."

"There _is_ no situation, Hiwatari! This is _my_ mission, and _I'm_ going to collect the bounty right after _I _capture this creature!"

"Heh, good luck. You don't know the first thing about this creature, while I, have a good amount of knowledge. In fact, the only thing keeping me from capturing it are your idiotic traps."

"…"

"Face it, you don't have the experience to get this job done, you only have a couple of nets and wires. So either I meet this buyer, or I'll have Dranzer level the forest and your traps along with it, and capture the creature myself." All right, now he was going overboard. Kai knew full well he'd practically destroy the village if he ordered Dranzer to bring the forest down (not that she had that much power to do it in one blast), but he was on a roll. And part of him couldn't help but put that icing on the cake. His self-assured words and intimidating demeanor (yes, even over the phone), probably backed Johnny into a corner, making him forget the logic behind Kai's façade.

"Ok, ok…no need to shout, Hiwatari." He paused, and Kai smiled. "But not tonight. I'm already planning on meeting the guy tomorrow around five o'clock, so you'll have to wait until then."

Kai thought it over, that was when Rei wanted to meet him. 'I'll just tell him to skip the lesson. This is more important, and it'll probably look better to that Grypholyion creature if Rei didn't disappear everyday. "Fine. Where are we meeting?"

"The Yuki shrine. Don't be late." The line went dead, so Kai put the receiver down, a sense of accomplishment brimming inside of him. He noticed that Dranzer had nearly finished all of the leaves and sat down beside her.

"If my new ability of speaking to you doesn't work out Dranz, at least I know I still have impeccable people skills, right?" He practically said with a laugh.

She paid no attention to him and continued eating, though she was quite slow. It was almost as if she wasn't moving.

"Hn." He pulled the bag away from her. "You know, if you keep this up, you'll get fat-huh?" Turns out, she was dozing off. He picked her up and laid her in his lap, supporting her neck with his left arm and stroking her wings with his free hand. "Tired already? I didn't think destroying traps would exhaust you so easily."

She shook her head and chirped. {I'm fine, master Kai. Hm…it must be something about these leaves…} Even though she didn't completely understand, she knew that the boy was a bit worried about her.

"Listen Dranzer, I know that you can't understand me…but you have to try." She blinked, sat up as best she could, and looked at him. "I need you to tell Rei that I cannot see him tomorrow."

{Rei? Ok…you want me to tell Rei…something…}

He tried to elaborate since she seemed confused. 'Ok, she knows it's about Rei…I _know _that she recognizes his name.' He pointed to a trap that was showing behind the closet door. "Remember, we were taking down traps today? Well, tomorrow…" He got up and pointed to the next day on the calendar. "I cannot see him tomorrow." Kai covered the date and shook his head. "I can't go tomorrow, ok?"

{Tomorrow? Rei? Traps? We can't take down traps tomorrow? Is that it, master Kai?}

"We can't go see Rei tomorrow. You have to tell that to Rei, ok?"

{But why can't we take down traps tomorrow? Don't you want to help? Don't you want to see Rei-neko? Oh, did it have something to do with that call you just made?} It seemed there was no more time for silent questions. Kai walked out onto the balcony, a sure sign that he wanted the phoenix to deliver the message.

"I'll leave the door open for you, I have some things I need to do and I don't really have time to wait for you to come back, ok?"

{I hope I have the right information…mm…why am I so tired?} Her head bobbed out of weariness, but Kai mistook it for understanding and sent her off with a light push. {Oh! Oh shoot, I wont be able to do anything if I don't stay alert! Why can't I stay awake?}

"There's no need to rush Dranzer, just make sure you tell Rei." With that, he walked back into his room, leaving the phoenix to her job.

She flew over the canopy of the Umber Woods at a slow pace, occasionally dipping in her flight and catching the tops of the trees. She couldn't fly in the cover of the trees since some of the traps were still active, not to mention in her weary state, she would have trouble avoiding all of the branches.

Dranzer figured it must have been the leaves she ate. Their cooling effect must have consequences, causing drowsiness, or something or other. She wanted to sleep and let the effect take its toll, but Kai wanted her to deliver the message, so she figured that she'd have to wait until after she got back to rest.

{Oh, finally, there's the mountain. N-Now I just need to keep it up a little longer.} The ascension of the mountain was far past difficult, and by the time she had made it over, was near spent. {I don't know if I can find him in time…mm…what was I supposed to tell him again? I-I'm supposed to tell…Rei…that's right…but what did I need to-ah!} When she was thinking, a high wind appeared out of nowhere and blew her into the mountain. {Ah…} Knocking the last bit of consciousness she had left in her, Dranzer began plummeting down, paralleling the mountainside.

Nothing slowed or stopped her drop until she finally hit the lake's surface. The instant the water grazed her body, her eyes snapped open and she flew out of the liquid like a bullet from a gun.

{Oh my goodness! What in the world happened?!} She was fully awake and trying to stay in the air, but her drenched feathers were weighing her down. {This is terrible!} She landed and quickly shook the water off of herself as best she could. Thankfully the surprise high winds helped dry her off to the point that she could take flight again.

{What am I doing on this side of the Umber Woods? And without master Kai for that matter? Oh!} That seemed to remind her of the job he sent her to do. {That's right, he wanted me to…to tell something…to someone.} She racked her mind, but couldn't fill in the blanks. {Well, if I'm here, I must have delivered the message already. And the winds must have gotten me off guard and somehow blew me into the lake. …How strange…}

Feeling that all of her questions were more or less answered, Dranzer quickly scaled the mountain and headed back to Kai's house.

... The next day…

Robert quickly did a head count as the students left the building. The group had just had a tour of one of the most prosperous companies in Amidaru and was on their way to have lunch. The other two professors were leading the way, leaving Robert to keep a watch from the end. He didn't think that any of the students would stray, but he could never be too sure.

'Hm…' The thought of having a few mischievous kids reminded him of Rei and Max. 'I wonder how those two are doing? Hope they haven't drove Grypholyion out of his mind yet.' It was the second day of the trip and so far, everything had gone smoothly. He was enjoying the 'vacation', and it was nice to get out of the town and visit a fairly larger one, but still…a part of him missed the younger half-breeds. They weren't just his self-appointed responsibility; they were also his family.

'No matter how much a handful they are, I can't wait to get back.' Robert glanced at spot where he figured the Umber Woods would be. 'I wonder how much trouble they've caused so far…' He thought with a small laugh.

...

"May I leave, _now_?" Rei persisted.

Grypholyion shook his head, unwilling to let Rei go just yet. ()I'm sorry little Rei, but after your run-around yesterday, I'm not letting you leave my sight for some time.() Rei pouted, hoping to get some sympathy. ()You know full well that will not work on me. You had me very worried. If you were going to go all the way to Folborg's nest, you should have told me.()

Rei tilted his head down. "It's _Falborg_, Grypholyion…"

()The details don't matter. I know that you are getting older and want to explore more, but that does _not _excuse you from gallivanting off without notifying me first. Remember, Robert left me in charge of you and Max until he returns.() He stated a-matter-of-factly.

"I know, and I'm sorry. But I already stayed here all day and night…(from the time he went to explain until now), can't I _please_ go to see Max and Driger?"

Grypholyion sat down and shook his head. ()Not just yet. You need to learn from your mistakes.() The great beast looked outside. They were at the mouth of the cave, where they had been all morning. ()You can leave when the sun touches the top of those mountains.() He finally said.

Rei glanced over his shoulder; that would be around four o'clock or so. Which meant that he would have an hour to get to Kai after that. But since Grypholyion would be keeping a closer watch on him, it was going to be hard, especially since he was still intent on keeping his promise to Robert (however much of it was left) and staying on this side of the mountain. That meant he couldn't take the easy way and cross over by way of the lake.

Rei sighed. 'Well, it's about noon now, so I have four hours to come up with a plan.' Making up his mind, he lied down, gathered some rocks and started plotting. 'Ok, let's say this rock is Grypholyion…'

...

Tyson plopped down on Kenny's bed and waited for his friend to follow. Unlike the blue-haired boy, the younger boy merely sat down. "So, what do you think?"

"Like I said yesterday, Tyson, I'm not sure. I mean, there can't be too many hunters that would know about Max since we have kept quiet about it,"

"Ha, I knew it!"

"However, if Kai has reason to tell you not to go, then you had better listen to him."

"Aw, Chief…why do you always have to side with him?" Tyson whined.

"I don't always agree with him, but he is right. There is in fact, another hunter than knows about Max."

The other boy sat up quickly in disbelief. "Really?! Who? We haven't said anything about Max! How could someone else know about him?!" He demanded.

"Calm down, Tyson!"

"Yes, would you please settle down?" Dizzi stepped in, coming in from the other room, brining in one of the nets from the traps Kai had taken down yesterday.

"Dizzi?"

"Just stay quiet and maybe Kenny can explain." She handed the boy the net and peered at the computer screen.

"Ok, thanks Dizzi." The brunette showed Tyson the net and then brought up the appropriate program on his laptop. "See here? This is a very expensive, high tech trap that's used to capture flying creatures." He picked up the still attached barometer. "When the right kind of animal flies past it and its air pressure matches that of the one indicated on the barometer, the net will drop and snag the creature."

"…All right, but what does that have to do with Max and another hunter?"

"I'm getting to that. See, on the screen…" He motioned to his laptop. "I have an updated analysis of Dranzer's statistics." He pointed to one number in particular. "This shows her maximum strength level and how much pressure she can create by flapping her wings just right." Tyson nodded, though looked a bit confused. "Now look at the number set on the barometer. See how it's about double the number of Dranzer's power? That means that whatever creature this trap was set for is really big." He closed his laptop and began looking over the net. "Or at least a good amount larger than Dranzer. And the only creature that big in the Umber Woods would have to be Max."

Tyson crossed his arms. "But what about that…that Grypholyion thing? It's a lot bigger than Max, maybe that's what the trap was set for."

"While that seems like a possibility, it's highly improbable. Not only does Grypholyion stay on the other side of the mountain, but this net is way too small for a beast of his size." It was true. The net strewn about Kenny's bed was about the size of an ordinary sleeping bag, and couldn't possibly fit a mythic animal the size of a griffin.

"Well, just because there are nets set up for Max's wing pressure and size, doesn't necessarily mean that there's another hunter out there who knows about half-breeds."

"Normally I'd agree with you, but Kai told me that there _is_ another hunter. And this is one of his nets."

"Wha? Then why didn't he just tell me yesterday?! Doesn't he think I can keep a secret?!"

"Calm down, Tyson. Kai probably didn't want anyone who doesn't need to know, to know." Dizzi explained. "I'm sure he trusts you."

"Sure he does…" Tyson grumbled.

"Just forget about it, Tyson. At least you know now. So you can't go into the Umber Woods to visit Max. It's too dangerous for both of you. You'll just have to wait until the traps are gone and Kai does something about that other hunter."

"Fine…but only because I don't want Max to risk his feathers to see me. By the way, who is the other guy?"

"Unfortunately, Kai said I didn't need to know. He just wanted me to analyze this net. He wanted to know if I could somehow make a device that could disarm all of the other traps out there without actually taking them down."

"Oh, that would certainly makes things easier. Did you come up with anything?"

Kenny sighed and shook his head. "Not yet. Kai only gave this to me this morning you know."

"Right…" Tyson nodded, a sheepish smile on his face. He had been there, he should have remembered. "I knew that."

"Well, I probably won't be doing much else for the rest of the day. You can go home if you want."

Tyson shook his head. "Can't. Kai told me to stay here and out of his way."

"Out of his way?" Kenny echoed.

"Yup, so I guess I'll just help you figure this out!" He said enthusiastically. "I'll start by getting us some snacks!" With that the blue-haired boy dashed off to the kitchen.

"Do you really think he'll be able to help you, Kenny?" Dizzi asked.

"No, But I do think that Kai owes me big for this one." He opened his laptop. "Finding a way to disable all the traps is one thing, but doing that while watching Tyson is a whole other matter entirely…" Dizzi giggled and nodded.

... Later that day…

A few hours had passed and the day seemed to slip away. Rei had patiently waited for the sun to reach the two mountaintops all afternoon and was beginning to get anxious. 'Come on…come on…just a little bit further…' He tapped his claws against the ground in an annoying repetition and flicked one of the nearby rocks away.

He had already made a plan, though it wasn't too complex…he liked to think it would work when the time came. The rocks were useful in positioning the people he'd need, but the actual strategizing only took about fifteen minutes. For the majority of the remaining time, Rei had pretended they were army men and set up scrimmages between them. He was sure Grypholyion had thought him mad, but one does silly things when driven to absolute boredom.

The caretaker scratched his neck. ()Well, it was his own fault. He ran off without telling me and has to endure the punishment…no matter how ridiculously useless it is.() He thought as he gazed at the sun, which was slowly reaching the mountaintops. ()But still…() Grypholyion glanced at the young half-breed. He hadn't complained during the entire afternoon, and acted rather maturely to a childish reprimand. ()I suppose it couldn't hurt.() Getting up, the creature stretched his back and gave his wings a good flap. ()Hm…I'm getting too old for this…() He concluded in his mind.

Rei turned around and sat up from where he lay. 'Is he leaving? It's not time yet…'

()All right, little Rei, I believe you've had enough time to think. You may go now; however, in the future, it would be in your best interests to tell me when you are going on a little expedition, am I clear?() Rei nodded, a smile crossing his face. ()Very well, go on, enjoy the rest of your day.()

The young boy bowed in gratitude and nodded. "Thanks, Grypholyion. I'll see you later then!" He turned to leave and jumped down to the adjacent ledge, slowly reaching the bottom where the trees could cover him. There, he made sure nothing could see him and he waited. "Ok, come on…go!" He mumbled. A minute or two passed until Grypholyion finally took to the skies, using his mighty wings to get far in seconds. The raven-haired boy sped through the forest a bit; making sure the griffin went far enough so that he was out of sight. He saw the beast fly towards the mountains to the west and nodded in satisfaction. "Perfect." Changing his direction, Rei headed back to his tree, where he hoped Max would be.

His original plan was to get Max to distract Grypholyion like before, but when he got an ache in his back, he realized that after all that sitting, his caretaker would want to stretch after his sentence had been completed. The best way for a flying creature to do that would be to take to the skies for a while (as Max had done multiple times before). So, he'd let Grypholyion do just that, and ask Max to stand watch near the foot of Robert's cave and, just like before, distract the great beast until the lesson was done. Usually Grypholyion would fly for a long time, so until then, he'd just have to find something to do.

First thing was to find Max, which didn't take too long considering he was waiting for him at the tree, just as Rei thought. The angel flew down from one of the higher branches and ran over to greet him.

"Rei, there you are. I was beginning to think that Grypholyion was going to keep you there until Robert came back." It wasn't time for a hug, but from his smile, the raven-haired boy knew that he was happy at his presence.

"So, you weren't worried?" Rei asked, faking an air of hurt that his best friend didn't worry that Grypholyion was really punishing him.

He shrugged. "Not really." At the raven-haired boy's pout, the angel smiled and elaborated. "I don't know, I just…had a feeling that you were going to die from boredom rather than pain, if anything. Besides, Driger sort of told me that you weren't in real danger." He leaned in and then whispered: "He said Grypholyion is a softy when it comes to us."

At that, Rei laughed, and was also reminded of the tiger and instantly glanced around for him. "Oh, I forgot about Driger…where is he?"

"Don't worry about him." Max assured him as he led his friend to the trunk of the tree, where they sat down. "He left last night, probably to one of his spots. Actually, he told me to get him when you were out of 'time-out' as he put it." He stood. "I should get him--"

"Hold on, Maxie!" Rei grabbed the boy's arm and tugged him back down. "Don't go just yet."

The younger boy glanced at him curiously. "Why not?"

Rei sighed "I know you're going to hate me for this, but…I need a favor…"

The smile on the blonde's face melted away and he shook his head in disbelief. "No way! No no! Rei after what just happened how could you--"

"Please, I need your help!" He clung to Max's arm childishly. "It's nothing big…I just need you to distract Grypholyion for me when he comes back from his flight." Max eyed him warily and let him continue his explanation. "The lessons are never too long, and you know how much Grypholyion loves flying. My guess is you won't have to do anything but sit and enjoy the wonderful scenery."

It sure seemed like an easy task, but Max knew it would never turn out that way. So, for once in a long time, the younger half-breed resisted Rei's pleas, but the raven-haired boy didn't give up. He had roughly an hour to convince him, which was surely enough time for someone with people skills like him…he hoped…

"I still don't know how you managed to drench yourself, Dranzer." Kai mumbled as he continued to gently brush the phoenix's feathers. They were already dry (considering she did fall in the water yesterday), but he was just baffled at how _his_ Dranzer had been caught off guard. Now he was just grooming her, as she kind of insisted by poking him with the brush handle minutes prior to the present. "I wish Rei were here so that I could find out. But I guess it'll have to wait until tomorrow…or whenever you told him to meet me." His mahogany eyes strayed to the clock on his nightstand. It was nearly five. He put the brush down and lifted the bird up from his lap and set her beside him.

{Done already, master Kai?} She chirped. {I was hoping for a longer session.} She purposely ruffled her feathers and flew to her perch. She watched the boy gather a few things and head for the door.

"Meet me at the door." He said, and then whistled a string of notes to clarify.

{I was hoping you'd say that.} She responded, and then made her way out the sliding door, over the balcony's ledge, and waited on the mailbox. {Master Kai seemed very serious; I wonder where we're going…what's so important?} Dranzer wondered. She didn't have too long to think though, since Kai promptly came out, walked past her, and onto the road. {It must be imperative to his mission. I had better be alert. I wouldn't want to be the reason master Kai is upset.} She concluded. The phoenix hopped off of the mailbox and reached Kai's shoulder in seconds. She wasn't offended by his seemingly indifferent attitude towards her; it simply meant he was under a bit of pressure or worry.

'Dranzer.' Kai faintly noticed as a weight landed on his shoulder. He patted her talons lightly. 'Be on your best, something tells me this is going to be an interesting meeting.'

...

Johnny checked his watch again and tapped his foot against the ground impatiently. "He's going to be late…"

"He still has a minute or two if I'm not mistaken." Came the reply from a mysterious person close to the shrine. He was definitely male from the tone of his voice, but other than that, nothing else could be determined. He was wearing a large brown cloak and pulled the hood up over his head. Even though it was summer, the veil of night came quickly, so the person's features were well hidden.

"Hmph, I don't know why he's even coming…" Said the redhead, obviously trying to forget his previous conversation with the bluenette.

"I believe he wants to discuss ownership of the mission." The cloaked person responded.

"Ownership?!" Johnny practically shouted in disbelief. "You gave me this assignment and I accepted before Hiwatari did! This job and its bounty belong to me!"

The mysterious figure chuckled. "I beg to differ…"

He was taken aback at that answer. "What?!"

"Despite your 'full-proof' traps, you have failed to catch anything, am I correct?"

"W-Well, true…but it's only been a day or two!"

"That's no excuse." The tone of his voice was firm and serious. "I don't allow any kind of failure, even a minor one such as this."

"Eh…"

"I've heard a great many things about Kai, and few about you. Yet, I gave you a chance to prove yourself." He lifted his head, letting a bit of light wander across his face. "Johnny, I'm telling you right now that if Kai takes me up on my offer, you will not be employed by me any longer."

Despite his brimming anger towards this cloaked person and Kai, Johnny did his best to suppress his emotions. The last thing that would help him was bursting out in shouts and threats of violence. Besides all that, footsteps approached, and he knew full well who it was.

"I'm sorry if I'm a bit late." The familiar voice said. "My phoenix needed my attention." He stopped a good distance from the two people in front of him, eyeing Johnny first, and then the mysterious stranger. 'This must be the person who sent me that letter. He's the one who got Johnny on my case…'

"Ah, Mr. Hiwatari, it's a pleasure to finally meet you in person." The sound of his voice was a bit familiar to Kai, but he couldn't quite place it with a face. "I hope you have had a pleasant day."

Johnny glared at them both. "We don't need any of that. Let's just settle this and get on with our lives."

Kai smirked. "What's wrong, Johnny? A bit agitated, are we?"

"It's none of your business, Kai." He retaliated with a snarl.

The bluenette raised his voice a little to respond. "My life wasn't any of your business either, but you didn't mind barging in with your obnoxious traps."

"Right, right. That's quite enough from the both of you." They turned to the cloaked person, who had stepped in. "You both have valid points, and that's what we are here to discuss. We'll start with claim to the bounty, and then work on the excess amount of snares we seem to have. Sound fair?"

"Fine." Johnny mumbled.

For once, Kai agreed with him. "Same with me." Actually, it wasn't fine. He didn't care about ownership of the mission, hell; he had his own job already and didn't need another (especially since it was to capture Max). And while he wanted to get Johnny to back off with the traps (just in case Kenny couldn't make the device he needed), Kai really wanted to find out just who this guy was, and who he worked for.

"Good, so let's get started. It's rather cold tonight, and I rather not stay out here any longer than necessary."

...

"Trygle…" Rei called out. "Trygle? Are you ready?" He rounded the tree and looked up into the leaves. "Trygle, hurry up! We're late!"

Give me a minute, would you?! A second later the eagle toppled out and began flying towards the cave. Geez, I'm no spring chicken, unlike you, young one. 

Rei laughed. "Who are you calling young?! I'm nearly sixteen."

In people years…but going by cat years…or whatever the heck you're half of, you need to subtract a couple. He countered with his incoherent logic.

Rei shook his head slightly. He didn't mind, and was really just glad Trygle was ok with coming along. The half-breed smirked. 'Bet Driger sent him to watch me…' Well, the reasons didn't matter at least he had company. Scratch that, at least he was able to go. After much arguing and a bit of poking, Rei had managed to convince Max to cover for him…again. When the sun dropped a bit more, he had agreed to wait at the foot of the cave for Grypholyion to return. Rei was simply overjoyed. Though he did have to make a small deal with the blonde to seal the favor…

Hey Rei, what did you have to give Max to make him agree to being your look out again? Trygle asked as he waited for Rei to scale the ledge to the mouth of the cave.

"Well, it's really none of your business…but lets just say I'll be in his debt until I'm very old in both human and cat years…" Once he reached the cave, he dusted off his clothes and motioned the eagle to follow.

And you're sure this is all worth it? You're his servant for a dozen or so years in exchange for a little time with that hunter? Or does this agreement last for a couple of lesson lookouts? 

When they approached the blocked hole, Rei began moving the rocks as Trygle provided a bit of light. "I'm not Max's servant, I'm just…so grateful that I'll probably do him some favors, make his life a bit nicer…that's all."

Uh huh… He responded in a disbelieving drone.

"And this does cover a few more lessons, so it's worth it."

So you say. However, you have pointedly avoided the other part of my question, Rei. Is the hunter _really_ worth all of this trouble? You have absolutely despised his kind for the years that I have known you. You can't come out and tell me that you've suddenly had a change of heart. He stated and then added: Even _you_ aren't that temperamental… With a bit of flare in his voice.

"I'd love to answer you, but I got the hole unblocked, and we're late so it'll just have to w-wait…?" After stepping through the makeshift door and glancing around, Rei blinked. Kai wasn't there. A bit stunned, he didn't move, Trygle, on the other hand, flew through and looked over the edge.

Well, he isn't here so I guess we aren't late. He concluded, and then made his way back to Rei. So, now would you mind answering my question? 

Avoiding the eagle's question again, the raven-haired boy walked over to the mouth of the cave and looked for himself. Trygle was right. Neither Kai nor Dranzer were in sight. 'Where is he?' He silently wondered.

...

Just as the mysterious buyer had said, he didn't want to spend too long on this meeting. However, getting Johnny and Kai to agree on a seemingly simple issue was a harder task than he could have ever anticipated. In fact, the two hunters did most of the talking (or arguing…), while the cloaked figure was left bored and a bit cold. He leaned against the Yuki shrine, his eyes moving back and forth as the discourse continued.

"I told you, I don't want this stupid mission! I just want you to get your traps out of my way!"

"And I told you that I have the right to keep those things up since I am a valid hunter!"

"Valid?! More like invalid! You hardly catch anything even with those horrid snares and if you _were_ considered a '_legitimate hunter_' then why aren't you on Mr. Black's list?" Kai was right. Any hunter worth calling upon was very familiar with the self-proclaimed "hunter proprietor", and the bluenette knew that Mr. Black didn't know of Johnny.

"I don't need some lacky to give me requests! People come to me personally when they want a creature captured properly!"

"Only because Mr. Black turned down their requests to one of his hunters because they weren't worth our time!" The buyer rubbed his forehead. This wasn't getting them anywhere. Not to mention he had his own job to do. His boss told him to settle the dispute between Kai and Johnny and accomplish what needed to be done. If he let those two carry on with their rants any longer, they'd surely be out here _all_ night.

"Worth your time?! I'll have you know--"

"That really is enough." He said in a milder, yet intimidating tone. The two hunters glanced at him and shouted in unison:

"Stay out of it old man!" Completely taken aback by their combined outburst (and the fact that they had called him old) he reached up his sleeve and pulled something out.

{Oh boy…} Sensing what was about to happen, Dranzer wisely flew out of the way as the cloaked person swiftly hit both Kai and Johnny with the whip he had stowed away.

"Ssh…" It only felt like a flick to Kai, but still, he hadn't expected it. The cord landed on his shoulder, right where Dranzer had been.

"OW!" Johnny cried. "Hey, what's the hell is your problem?!"

The buyer chuckled and then shrugged his shoulder innocently. "Oh, sorry, I really didn't mean to hit you. I was just surprised by your outburst and well, I did what came naturally." He tucked the whip away. "When my own mythic creature bites I give him a tap with my whip. So sorry…"

"Do we look like animals to you?!" Kai really wanted to answer, but held his tongue as Dranzer gave his a sharp peck to remind him to be nice.

"Like I said, I'm very sorry. However, you two did deserve it. I said I wanted this to be a fast meeting and already you two have been arguing for the past twenty minutes." He declared in a matter-of-fact manner. "Now, can we please discuss this rationally?" The two nodded. "Good. Now, I think I'll take the reins of this conversation from here on." He cleared his voice. "As Johnny stated in the beginning, he was the first to accept this mission so technically, claims to the bounty rightfully belong to him."

"I told you so."

"However, just as I said, you haven't done a very good job of it. Not only have you failed to bring me anything, but, as Kai mentioned, your methods haven't been beneficial to anyone."

Johnny grumbled as he crossed his arms. The bluenette merely suppressed a smirk.

"So, Kai. I have to ask you again." Crimson eyes locked on hidden ones. "Will you accept my offer and capture this creature for me? It's obvious you know that such a creature exists otherwise you wouldn't be here." Kai didn't blink or waver. "I will pay you handsomely, of course." He added, trying to sweeten the pot.

However, the experienced hunter shook his head firmly. "Sorry, but I'm already on a mission. And my request came from a more reliable acquaintance than you." He started finally. "I'll have to humbly decline." That issue, as far as Kai was concerned, was over. From the start he didn't want the job, and didn't care whether or not Johnny got it. He just wanted the redhead to remove his traps and find out who this guy was.

'This guy knew I didn't care about the request.' He narrowed his gaze on him. 'Is he just stalling? This whole conversation was meaningless and went in a giant circle!'

The mysterious buyer nodded. "Very well. I suppose I can't sway you, and I must respect your decision." Kai never took his eyes off of him. The whole thing was too easy. Why go through all the trouble of bringing him out here and trying to convince him if he was willing to give up so easily?

Johnny watched their exchange with a twitching eye. That had to be the umpteenth time Kai had refused the stranger. And in a way…that irked him. What's more, _he_ (Johnny) was willing to do this mission for the guy, but nothing he did was enough. This buyer clearly wanted Kai's skills, so why did he keep going to Johnny when it wasn't sufficient?

'It's almost as if he keeps me around just to agitate Kai. And while I don't mind pulling that jerk's leash, no one uses me like that…' Johnny thought.

Almost mechanically, the cloaked figure turned to Johnny. "Well then, I suppose you are still employed."

He glared at the stranger. "I don't think so." That definitely got the man's attention, as well as Kai's.

"I beg your pardon."

"You heard me. Even Kai heard me, and heaven knows his senses are gone." The bluenette passed on another chance to retaliate. He was curious as to where Johnny was going with this. "I know what you're up to, old man. You're just using me to get in Kai's way so that he'll keep coming back to argue and you can get another chance to get him on your side. Well I'm not falling for it." He declared.

Kai was a bit impressed, but only a bit. Actually, he was kicking himself for not connecting the dots sooner. Of course Kai already knew that Johnny was the distraction, but what the redhead said got him thinking. 'This guy wants me to work for him, that's a given. Now…he wants me to capture Max. Obviously he knows a bit about him. But in all my years, no one has ever claimed to see a half-breed, and out of the blue, this guy speaks up. Could it be he was just binding his time?' Kai's eyes widened.

'Wait a minute…it isn't just out of the blue. He sent me that letter right after I told Tala that I could only bring in one half-breed…could it be that he works for him? That would be why I recognize the voice. He could be one of Tala's men, or one of the guys who work for Tala's boss. But…no, that couldn't be…' Kai racked his brains and thought back to that day.

'I-I got that letter the same day I talked to Tala. He couldn't have written it and sent it so quickly, he lives in Amidaru. Unless…he already had it prepared…? But then he would have known about Rei…'

"Kai!" The bluenette turned to Johnny and glared at him. He was connecting the dots and the redhead just had to interrupt him.

"What is it?!" He barked.

"Cool it, Hiwatari. I just wanted you to know that I'm not sticking around to be some old man's lacky. The mission is yours for all I care." With that, he stuffed his hands in his pockets and stormed off.

Now it was just Kai alone with the mysterious buyer. "Well, things have certainly turned around, haven't they?" The young hunter didn't respond. He was now more suspicious of this guy than he was before. "I suppose everything has been settled, now hasn't it?" His voice was a bit angry, but he hid it pretty well. Obviously this wasn't the way he wanted things to turn out. "Though, the traps are still up, but I suppose you can handle those yourself, Kai." He turned and began walking away. "Until next time…"

Kai didn't take his eyes off the man until he was completely out of sight. And even then, he started after him. There was just something about him. He needed to know where this guy was going. If he headed to the train station, that would strengthen his reason to believe he works alongside Tala.

'If I'm right, and this guy does know about Rei, he must have spied on me. If he knows about Rei…I don't know what I'm going to do…'

{Master Kai? Why are we going this way?} Dranzer asked. Unable to understand, Kai just patted his talons.

"Stay quiet, Dranz. This will only take a minute." A whistle at the end told her to just stay alert. So she did. The phoenix trusted Kai, and quickly glanced around. It was getting late, and a light mist was settling in. The lamps flickered a bit, and Dranzer stayed close to the boy's head. She didn't like the mist too much. It made one do strange things sometimes…

...

SS-Really long, but actually, I didn't go as far as I originally intended. I plan things and add too much inbetween, so I'm pretty sure that read a bit hurriedly. I'm sorry if it did. Truthfully, I did this whole chapter in one sitting. I cleared a day and sat down and told myself to write. Still, I'm sorry if it seemed too fast. I'll pace and go a bit more evenly for the next one.

And this was what my friend calls 'plot development' … or 'character development' … or something or other. One of those chapters where things are explained and it doesn't seem too fascinating. Trust me, I've waited a long time to write the _next_ chapter. It should make up for things. If you want to stick around that is…

Tym-And you can check her page/bio if you want any details to her absence. It's a doozy of an explanation in my opinion. Until then, thanks for all the reviews (I think we hit over 100, right?! Right?!?! You guys are amazing!) and please review…Ashes!


	12. Fall, falling, fallen

Good morning/afternoon/evening (depending on the time of day)! Everyone has been well I hope. Look, this chapter is reasonably on time! _:cheers:_ The next should be out...uh, before the end of September? Heh, it'll depend on how busy the new school year keeps me. Nothing else to say...thanks/replies are at the bottom, updates of any sort are in my bio. Happy reading!

Eh...where's Tym? He's on vacation. I hope he e-mails me soon...  
Since some symbols were removed (again), everyone will use quotes, except for [Driger] and {Dranzer}. I'm really sorry about the confusion. If I had known this would happen, everyone would have started with regular quotes. Er, I shall change it all when I redo the story in the end.  
And these... **ooo** are my new scene breakers. Ok, that's it.

_Loving Legends  
_Chapter 11 – Fall, falling, fallen  
Disclaimer: See prologue

"Mm, it's getting a bit dark." Trygle noticed. "Hey Rei, what time is it?" He was sitting on a rock near the hole in the wall, tipping his head from side to side. It had been a long time since they had arrived. Most of the fading sunlight was now completely gone and a thick layer of mist had settled in. "Rei, are you listening to me? Rei!"

"What?" The raven-haired boy had finally come to his senses and turned slightly to see the eagle. "Say that again."

"I said...do you have any idea what time it is?"

Rei blinked. "Time?" He looked outside and saw that it had already gotten dark. It was weird, he had been staring out into the woods for the past however long they were there, and he didn't notice. 'Guess I've been a bit preoccupied...'

"Well?" Trygle persisted.

"Oh, uh...it's getting pretty late." He knew an hour couldn't have passed, but with what had happened yesterday, he couldn't be too sure. "Why don't you go back to Max and tell him to stall a bit longer."

Trygle hopped off his rock and made his way to Rei. "Why do I have to? The guy is way late. I bet he forgot or something..." Rei didn't move. "Come on, you don't want to worry the others..._again_. Not to mention I don't want that Wolborg to bite my head off..._again_! Let's go. You can come back tomorrow."

"But Kai doesn't know if I'm coming tomorrow. And what if something happened to him today? I know he can be late sometimes, but if wasn't going to come, he'd send Dranzer."

He ruffled his feathers is annoyance. "Hmph...using Dranzer as his carrier pigeon, that's just wrong."

Rei managed a smile. "As much as you hate it, can you be mine and go to Max already? Tell him that I'll be back in ten minutes at most."

"Like I really have another choice?" He turned around and headed for the hole. "I'll be _right _back; so don't even think about going _you know where_. Got it?"

The boy kept a serious face, but was laughing at Trygle's tough act. "All right."

"Rei..."

Rei held his hands up in mock defense. "Don't worry. I promise I won't even think about going..._you know where_." The eagle glanced at him warily. "I swear."

"Mm...ok..." Rei gave him a thumbs-up and the bird left.

That left the boy to himself. He got up, dusted off his pants and stared out into the forest again. 'What happened to you, Kai?'

**ooo**

"If he leaves I am going to be in BIG trouble. Please listen to me, Rei." Trygle quickly left the cave completely and dove down into the forest. He knew where Max usually was, but went at a slower pace. If the blonde was doing what Rei asked of him, Grypholyion would be around, too. It would be a bit suspicious if he just came hurtling in out of nowhere.

"Hm...he should be around here somewhere..."

"Trygle!"

"Ah!" The sudden sound burst broke the eagle's concentration and he accidentally caught his head on a low branch. "Oof!" He made a sloppy landing on the ground and twitched a bit. "St-stupid tree..."

Max gasped. "Oh, Trygle!" He landed nearby and kneeled next to him. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to surprise you."

"Eh...no problem..." He quickly picked himself up and shook his head. "Just don't do that again." It was then Trygle realized that, even though Max was a half-breed, he couldn't fully understand him. The only mythical creature the blonde could communicate with was Draciel, but it'd take too long to find him. It couldn't be too hard to tell him what Rei said, though.

"Um...Max..." The boy blinked. "Rei, he um, he needs more time...got it?"

Max leaned in closer, hoping it would help. "What, something about Rei? What does he need?"

"Time. He needs a little more time."

The young angel tilted his head. "...Time? Rei needs more time?"

Trygle nodded. "Well you are certainly better than that hunter guy. Yes, that's right. So just, give him a few more minutes."

After the initial 'yes', things got a bit fuzzy, but it was enough. Max smiled. "Ok, no problem." He looked around. "Actually, Grypholyion hasn't come back yet. I've been flying back and forth by the cave and I haven't seen a hint of him. Wherever he went must have been far."

The eagle shook his head. "Nah, he probably just took cover since there's a storm coming."

Since he wasn't really paying attention, Max just nodded along, that is, until the words finally registered in his head. "What? A storm?!" He was up on his feet in an instant and stared up at the grey sky. "I know it's a bit cloudy, but that's common. How do you know there's a storm coming?" He asked in a jumpy tone.

"We Umber Wood creatures can feel it. It's just a chilly feeling in our bones..." Trygle closed his eyes. "It might take a while, but there will definitely be a big storm tonight."

Max sighed and bit his lip. "Aw man..." Unfolding his wings, he took flight and hurried off in one direction.

"Eh? Max, where are you going?" Before he knew it, the boy had come back for him and took hold of his tail feathers. "What the...?!" Max picked up the pace, all the while keeping a firm grip on the struggling bird. "Max, where are we going?! Better question, why am I going with you?! I need to return to Rei to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid!"

The blonde had only caught about half of that, so he answered what seemed like the obvious question. "We're going to Draciel. I want to hear the full translation about this storm."

"Why?! I already told you there was a storm coming, what else do you need to know?!"

"...I don't like storms..." He blew his bangs out of his face and whispered: "Especially if Rei won't be here..." under his breath.

"What was that last thing?" Max kept flying, pretending he didn't understand what the eagle had said. He wasn't quite sure how he knew, but the angel was sure that Rei wasn't going to be here. And since Robert wasn't coming back until tomorrow, he wanted to know as much about the storm as possible. He didn't do too well alone with thunder and the such...

**ooo**

Rei huffed, his ten minutes had expired and he hadn't returned yet like he had promised. He was leaning against the side of the mouth of the cave with his arms crossed and foot tapping. Somewhere between Trygle leaving and now, his attitude towards Kai's disappearance had turned from a nervous worry to a ticked off irritation.

'I can't believe he's such a forgetful person. Must come from years of being a hunter.' He shook his head. 'It can't be good for one's health that's for sure.' Sighing, Rei decided it was time to pack it in and get back to Max and the others.

'Why did I wait for him? It's obvious he isn't coming. I should have left with Trygle.' He stopped walking and let his ears twitch. 'Why _did_ I wait? Am I that worried about him?' He furiously shut his eyes and shook his head. 'No, I don't care about him. I just don't want him to complain about why I didn't teach him enough.'

Rei faced the exit again and narrowed his gaze, the subjective part of his mind ready to cook up another scenario for him to believe. 'He'll probably come here in twenty minutes, find me missing, and claim that that's grounds enough to break our deal. Well I won't let that happen. I shouldn't be waiting. I mean, since when am I submissive?'

He took a few strides towards the edge, calmly looking over it. 'It shouldn't take me too long to find him and tell him what's on my mind.' Kneeling, the raven-haired boy searched for a foothold and then began descending the cliff side.

'Oh wait! I promised Trygle that I wouldn't even think about going _you know where_.' He thought it over for a moment, waiting for his subjective state of mind to kick in. 'Well, I never really thought about it. I just decided that I wanted to check on—uh, tell Kai how I feel...about the situation...yea, so it doesn't go against his word.' Nodding to himself, Rei smirked and continued on his way. Actually, he did feel guilty. Considering what happened yesterday, this little adventure wouldn't settle well with Driger, Wolborg, or Max.

'I'll have to be quick about it. Hm, doesn't that sound familiar?' Pushing it to the back of his mind, Rei willed himself to believe the fact that the cause of his actions was important. He was looking for Kai to talk to him; however, a direct translation would be...he was worried about Kai. His heart told him so, and for that, Rei was vexed.

**ooo **

"That's all there is to it, it's a storm...no big deal."

"But it's going to be a rather large one, right?" Draciel questioned.

"Probably. You know just as well as I do that the weather here is usually pleasant, but when storms come, they come with a vengeance."

Draciel nodded. "Yes, I know. I just wish it didn't have to come now."

Max placed his hand on the turtle's shell. "So, it's coming soon, isn't it?" He asked.

"I'm afraid so. Within the next hour or sooner."

The blonde's normally cheerful eyes fell a few shades out of disappointment. He was hoping that the eagle would be wrong. "Great...just great."

A bit of fur brushed up against the boy, reminding him that Wolborg was there. "Don't worry. Just think of it as a bit of ticked of rain, wind, and lightening wreaking its havoc on the earth."

Driger gazed at the wolf quizzically. [Wolborg, I don't think you're helping...]

When Max and Trygle had arrived at the lake, they found Driger and Wolborg with Draciel at the water's edge. Max couldn't tell what they were talking about, but he uncharacteristically interrupted anyway and brought up the storm subject. Turns out it was going to be a large one, one that would come and go for the remainder of the evening and for much of the following morning.

"Tell me Max, why are you so fretful about this pending storm?" Wolborg wondered.

"...eh..." He shrugged off the inquiry and continued resting against Draciel's shell.

The wolf eyed him carefully. "Uh huh..."

[Max was found during a storm.] Driger volunteered the partial answer.

Lowering his voice, Wolborg insisted the conversation along. "He was?"

[Rei too. He found Max alone and stayed with him. Then Robert found the both of them and brought them to his cave. Grypholyion told me about it a while ago.] He stated in an almost indifferent tone.

"And the blonde remembers that far back? If I recall, Rei was only five or so, meaning Max was four."

Driger tilted his head. [Some memories remain because they are significant or sentimental. However, in Max's case, I think he remembers because it was both a frightening and relieving day.]

"All right Mr. Philosophical, mind explaining?"

[...I can't believe you never knew.]

"Never knew about what?" He demanded in a hushed tone.

[The experiments. That enormous explosion that I thought, until today, all Umber Wood creatures noticed and felt.]

"Of course I remember that. It happened during the first week of peace after the war between the creatures here. Some humans were being careless in a building and it blew up. What about it?"

[Don't you know what the humans were doing in that building?]

Wolborg huffed. "Like I care about what humans do..."

[Well you should. It was because of those experiments that Rei and Max and Robert came here.] Driger said in a low voice, making sure that Max couldn't hear them.

"What are you getting at?" The ice wolf asked curiously.

Driger shook his head. [It's too risky to say with the young one about.] He seemed to think that was enough of that topic and reverted back to the original one. [...Anyway, Max was found the night after the explosion. There was a storm then, too.]

"Oh, so that's why he's scared. The storm rekindles the memories of that explosion."

[Hm, it's about time you connected the dots.] He muttered sarcastically. [Usually Rei is here to stay with Max, but he isn't now.] The tiger stated. [Trygle, shouldn't Rei be back by now?]

"Hey, wait a minute, Driger." The two creatures locked gazes. "What about the other connection between Max and Rei to the explosion?" He whispered. "You're holding out on me."

[Another time, Wolborg.] Driger growled through his teeth. Apparently it was a touchy subject, and one that must have been kept under wraps for some time now.

Driger turned his attention to Trygle. [Rei should have returned now, right?]

"Oh uh, y-yea!" He agreed in a hesitant tone.

[Well, then where is he?]

The golden eagle paused. "Um...yes...Rei is..." He began backing away from Driger's hardened glare. "You know, why don't I go check on him...to make sure he's not, uh, sleeping or something." Before Driger could get his word in, Trygle took to the skies and headed for the cave. "Be right back!"

The tiger stayed back with the others. [You had better be.]

**ooo **

"Rei, please, please, _please_ be there waiting for me!" The bird repeated his mantra over and over, trying to reassure himself that all was good and well. "Almost there." Though, deep inside his being, he already knew what he was going to find once he got to the other side of the secret exit.

Still, hoping never hurt anyone...

"Just got to squeeze through this little 'door' and...and..."

Well, hope never hurt, but it sure was a let down when one was wrong.

"Aww man!!!!!" Trygle flopped onto the ground and groaned. Rei, as expected, had left. "Rei...why can't you listen to me just once!?!" He propped himself up with his wings and muttered. "Really, one day he'll be sorry he never paid attention to me." Making his way to the edge, Trygle heaved a sigh and peered into the forest. "If I go back to Driger and the others without him, I'll be ripped of my feathers and then iced for the remainder of the century. Guess that means it's time to go and find my little headache-causing-good-for-not much-..." He trailed off with his childish name calling as he jumped from the cave's floor and soared off into the canopy of the woods. It was going to be a long search. What with the heavy mist, impending storm, and acres of forest to search through...finding one mischievous half-breed wouldn't be a piece of cake.

**ooo **

"Man, this storm was kind of sudden." Rei mumbled as he leaned against a sturdy tree. "I never should have stopped to take down those traps, it's slowing me down, and now I have another reason (aside from avoiding punishment) to get back soon." He turned and looked back to the mountain that divided the woods. Pushing his drenched bangs out of the way, he sighed. "Max must be scared to death. He hates storms..."

He knew it wasn't too smart to stay near trees during a storm, but lightening was never a big issue for the Umber Woods. Most of that occurred in town, so it was ok for him to take some cover. It didn't help much though, and since he needed to hurry, Rei got up; kept a grip on the nets he had taken down, and continued walking towards the town. It was getting hard to see through the heavy rain, not to mention the fog wasn't helping...so he had to be extra vigilant. "Ah, good timing!" The storm was beginning to let up a little, so he picked up the pace. The thick fog was still pervading the air, but at least he could see a bit better. "Mm?" Squinting, the raven-haired boy smiled as he saw the end of the forest within his reach. He shifted to a light jog. 'Once I find Kai, I can leave these stupid nets with him, get back to Max, and hopefully be free of any repercussions--' He stopped. His ears perked up when a noise rang through the air.

"What's that sound?" Rei glanced down, and then let his eyes roam the floor. "It sounds like...a beep..." Deciding it was nothing important he stepped forward...

BWEEEN

"...Ah! " Dropping the nets, Rei reached up and covered his ears. "What is that?!" Within the next second, the muddy ground beneath him crumbled; the forest floor threatened to consume him. "Whoa!" Quickly digging his hands into the ground, the half-breed tried to keep himself up. "Man...stupid...traps..." His grip couldn't hold, as the ground was sopping wet and it slipped through his fingers like fine sand. "Oh man..." Without any solid land to steady himself with, the trap swallowed him in its abyss, and he fell unconscious on impact with the rocky bottom. The rustling leaves seemed to approve of the incident, as they rested on top of the rickety, wooden cage-like lid, which sealed the half-breed in the accursed hole.

**ooo **

"Rei! Rei! Come on, kid, you got to be here somewhere..." Trygle dipped through the canopy again and slowed his pace. Not only had the storm caused him to halt his search, but also the forest was still littered with traps. He had to be careful if he didn't want to be caught like he did last time. Once was embarrassing enough.

BWEEEN

"Ahk! What is that sound?" It wasn't meant to be loud, but thanks to the eagle's heightened senses, it was as clear as a whistle, and just as sharp as one, too. Seeing as he wasn't having luck finding Rei on his own, he figured the sound might have attracted the boy. With Rei's sensitive ears, it was hard to get anything past him.

"Oh no." Trygle landed on a branch near the origin of the sudden sound and raked his eyes across the floor. "The sound, it stopped." He hopped down onto the ground and continued his search. "C'mon, Rei; I know you heard it. And I know your curiosity will get the better of you..."

He wondered about, staying in the immediate area in case the boy showed. "Rei?" Nearing the veiled trap, the leaves blew out from under his talons and he almost slipped through one of the holes of the cage lid. "Yikes!" He flew up in a breath and stared down at the partially covered pit. "Eh...? Is that a trap?" Landing cautiously on the bars of the trap, he peered down into the darkness. "Did Rei set it off? Ah!"

Through the nets that bound him and the leaves and dirt that soiled his clothes, Trygle spotted Rei...in the clutches of a hunter's snare. "Rei! Rei, can you hear me?!"

Hopping around the bars, he continued calling to the youth. "Come on kid, can't you hear me?!" He started to panic, and instantly took flight, ready to break the cage top down with an attack. "Wait a minute...if I break the bars, the pieces could hurt him." He glanced at the mountain. "And none of them can help either. Driger and Wolborg would rip this thing to shreds and Grypholyion would...eh...I don't even want to think about what he would do. What am I going to do? No Umber Wood creature could open it without smashing the lid to bits in the process."

Trygle turned to the town. "Then...I need help from someone outside of the woods." He concluded. As soon as he sent that idea off in his head, one answer immediately popped up. "Oh no!! I'm not going to _him_!" There was only one person he knew that could help...although he dreaded the thought of going to him for assistance. "It's for Rei." He told himself as he headed towards town. "Rei needs help. Rei needs help and I can only think of one person who can do something about it right now!"

**ooo**

"Hmph...damn fog." Kai muttered as he followed the cobblestone path back to the center of town.

{Hm?} Dranzer chirped inquisitively as she sat on his shoulder.

"...It's nothing." He responded quietly.

Somehow (probably out of sheer luck), the mysterious buyer had eluded the hunter's sight through the thickening fog. Kai hadn't given up the search without a fight, but after much wandering it was useless to continue, especially at such a late hour. All right, it was only seven or so, but with the quantity of mist and darkening demeanor of the sky, it made spying conditions quite inconvenient.

So the two were now heading back to the house. Despite the shroud of vapor, Kai could find his way (the added light from Dranzer's occasional spurts helpful, but not necessary). It was nothing new; a good deal of his regular hunts ended this way...well, he'd be victorious of course, but the weather conditions were similar.

"We'll get him next time, Dranzer. I'm going to find out who he is."

Then, a rather loud sound disrupted the serene atmosphere. "Hey! Dranzer, there you are!"

Though he couldn't understand, Kai snapped his head at the direction of the screech and was a bit surprised. "Trygle?!"

Dranzer lifted herself off the bluenette's shoulder and met the eagle half way, a bit curious as to why her friend chose to come all the way into town. {Trygle...what are you doing here?!}

"It's Rei; he's gone and gotten himself in quite a predicament this time."

{Rei?! What happened to him?} She questioned in a worried tone.

"He's fallen into one of those accursed traps! I can't get him out on my own...I need...his help..." Trygle admitted a bit sheepishly. Dranzer didn't have to ask whom he was referring to. The eagle only held disdain towards a particular nearby human so it was painfully obvious.

{Lead the way; I'll get master Kai to follow.} She replied.

"Yea, yea..." He muttered as he began flying into the woods, keeping his pace slow so that the phoenix had time to catch up.

"Dranzer, what's going on?" His question fell deaf to her as she tugged at the hem of his pants with her talons, begging him to walk. Of course he couldn't refuse. By pulling at his hips, if he didn't walk, he'd fall backwards. "This is probably one of those times when I just have to trust you, ne?" With a hesitant sigh, Kai jogged with her until she let go of him altogether and led the boy to the spot where Trygle was waiting.

"Hurry up! He could be seriously hurt down there!"

Dranzer circled the spot, waiting for Kai to arrive. In the meantime, she peered down into the pit and eventually landed on top of the cage roof as her eyes adjusted to the lack of light and focused on the still form at the bottom. {Oh, Rei...} She glanced at Trygle, who had settled beside her. {Can't we just break this wooden top and get him out?! What if he's hurt?!}

"I already thought of doing that, but we can't risk it. If we break through, the falling pieces could hurt him further. That's why I came to find you and...and him..." He dropped his voice as Kai stopped to catch his breath. He looked confused and a bit ticked off, which couldn't be a good combination.

"All right, where's the fire?" He asked in a slightly sarcastic tone. He knew full well there wasn't going to be a straight answer, but it couldn't hurt.

In response, Dranzer hopped off of the cage lid and forced Trygle back as well. Raising an eyebrow in suspicion, Kai slowly walked to the trap and looked into the abyss. Naturally, his night vision wasn't as good as either of the birds', so he reached for his mini flashlight and hoped the beam was strong enough to reach the bottom.

"What's down there?" The hunter wondered. It had to be something important otherwise Dranzer wouldn't have pulled him over. "Hn?" The light caught a smidge of white and green as it neared the side of the hole.

He blinked. 'What Umber wood creature is white and has...green spots?' Squinting, Kai realized that they were stripes, not spots. 'Green stripes?' The thought passes through his mind for a second before his eyes widened in understanding.

He pulled back and stared at Trygle. "Rei?!"

The eagle practically squawked in relief. "Thank goodness you finally caught on!" The two couldn't communicate without Rei's help, but names were easy enough to comprehend. "Now get him out!"

Kai laid his flashlight on the ground and pulled out the pocketknife he kept tucked away in his belt. Then he began cutting through the wiry lid. Granted, it was rough to cut, and a lot slower than Trygle wished, but it was working.

'How in the world did he get into this predicament? Better question, why is he even out this far?' Kai wondered.

A few minutes later, the top was off and now Kai had the problem of getting Rei out of the cavernous pit without hurting him. His first thought was to get Dranzer and Trygle to lift him out, but with all the nets and wood debris tucked around him, he feared the boy would get injured in the process. So he went to his next idea, going down himself and somehow climbing back up with Rei on his back. It wasn't going to be easy, but he couldn't leave the boy down there...

{Master Kai?} Dranzer hopped over to the side as the hunter began descending into the trap. She tilted her head. He looked a bit odd with the flashlight sticking out of his belt like that. She guessed that he needed to see what was below him as he went, but why couldn't he ask her to fly down with it? (1)

Nearing the bottom, Kai took one last look to make sure he wouldn't step on Rei before jumping to the floor with a soft thump. Removing the flashlight, he kneeled next to Rei and raked it over the half-breed's still body and tried to make a quick check that he was (aside from the dirt and being unconscious) all right. The pulse from his wrist was steady, which relieved Kai for the most part.

'He just got knocked out during the fall. Hopefully nothing is broken...' He began untangling him from the numerous nets. 'He must have been taking them down before he fell. But why would he even come out to do that? We agreed to meet tomorrow to do this...unless...' Kai furrowed his brows. The only reason Rei would come out would be to remove the traps _with_ him, right? But he asked Dranzer to tell—

Pausing for a moment, the bluenette called to his phoenix. "Dranzer?"

Even though he only asked for her, Trygle also peered over the edge. {Yes, master Kai?}

Keeping a loose grasp of Rei's shoulder, Kai continued. "Did you tell Rei that we were meeting tomorrow and that I wouldn't be able to come today?"

{Of course I did.}

He turned back to Rei and pulled away the last nets. "Well then why would he come out--"

"Wait a minute." Trygle interrupted. He glanced at Dranzer. "When did you tell Rei that? I never saw you this afternoon."

{I'm sure I did. I remember crossing the mountain.}

"And I remember waiting for you and that hunter around sunset. You two never came."

Dranzer flapped her wings. {Are you calling me a liar?}

"All I'm saying is that we never knew you two weren't coming. I'm sure Rei wouldn't forget you telling him that. I mean, the only reason he'd break his promise, _again_, and leave the mountain is to check on that blue-haired hunter of yours."

Kai's head snapped up. "What did you say?" He practically demanded.

Trygle peered over the edge, looking down on him. "I said, that the _only_ reason Rei would think of leaving is because he was worried about why _you_ weren't there!" He huffed. "I made him promise not to even think about going when I went to tell Max that he'd be late. I bet Rei thought his way around that one like he always does..."

{Now why would Rei do that? He knows that he doesn't need to worry about master Kai.}

The eagle puffed up. "Hmph, how should I know? He's..." The two continued their discourse, forgetting about Kai and Rei, who were still in the trap.

Kai, on the other hand, was slowly taking everything in as he cleared most of the dirt from the younger boy's body. 'Why were you worried? You left because you wanted to see if I was ok?' Shaking his head (hoping to shake his blush off), the hunter gently lifted Rei off of the ground and laid him over his shoulder. 'How idiotic. I don't need to be fussed over. Why would you waste your time worrying over me?'

Of course there was no answer to his arbitrary questions. But they nagged at his mind as he carefully climbed up the unsteady earth walls. He had to stop every once and a while to make sure Rei didn't slip, making his ascent long and tiresome. Actually, the half-breed was light, but trying to scale a deep hole with another person on him wasn't something Kai did everyday. And the two Umber wood creatures were too busy talking to one another to help him as he clambered out of the trap and onto the ground. It was only after Rei was lying near them and Kai was catching his breath next to him that they noticed.

"Oh, it's about time you got him out." Trygle made his way to Rei and nudged him lightly, hoping for a response. "He could be hurt and you went and treated it like a joy ride."

Kai glared at the eagle and reached for the boy's hand. "I don't know...what you just said, but I'm going to let it slide."

{Master Kai, don't get angry. Trygle is just fearful for Rei.}

Sighing, the hunter nodded. "Yea, I know. We better get him back to the house so that I can make sure everything is really ok."

"Hold on!" Trygle intervened.

"What?" Kai asked in a nonchalant tone.

"What do you mean, what?! You're not bringing him back to your house! We have to get him back to the other side! Max will take care of him."

"You can't be serious. If Rei really is hurt, nothing you guys have will help him." Despite the eagle's flapping and screeching, Kai picked up the unconscious boy and held him close. "I'll clean him up and bandage him and he'll go back when he wakes up."

"No, no, no! Clean him up?! I don't trust you cleaning up any part of him! And what if he doesn't wake up until tomorrow?! What will Robert say?! Oh...what will Grypholyion do to me..." He muttered that last part to himself, fearful of the punishment he may receive from the griffin, and Driger, and Wolborg... "Oh, I can't stop Kai, especially if Dranzer stays by his side. I better get Driger..." Ruffling his feathers in anxiety, Trygle took flight and headed for the other side of the mountain.

Kai paid no heed to him and walked away with Dranzer in toe. She flew to his shoulder, glancing down at the still boy in his arms. {He will be all right, won't he?}

"I'm sure he will be. I doubt he has anything more than a bruise here or there."

{Thank goodness.} She breathed. Then she nuzzled Kai's neck, guessing that he might need the warmth. {It's fortunate that we were close by. I don't want to think of what might have happened if Trygle hadn't found us.}

The hunter nodded. "Yea, Rei's lucky..." The half-breed was filthy from the fall and didn't look too good. Kai only hoped that he wasn't seriously injured. Yet, despite his worries (yes, he admitted that he was worried about the boy), the bluenette couldn't help but feel that everything was already ok. Having the half-breed in his arms like that made his surroundings insignificant and dull in comparison. It just felt...right.

"I'm lucky." Kai murmured under his breath.

**ooo**

"Tyson? Tyson!" Kai kicked off his shoes, removed Rei's, and headed for the couch. He figured that his roommate had stayed at Kenny's because of the storm, which decided to pick up again just as Kai left the forest. Dranzer had flown ahead (since she isn't too fond of the heavy rain) and the bluenette sprinted from the edge of the woods, through town, and all the way to his home with Rei in his arms. He was pleasantly surprised that everyone had taken shelter in their own houses, so the half-breed in his arms went unnoticed (or so he hoped).

Unfortunately, now both of them were dripping wet. It wasn't a big problem for him...but considering Rei was still out cold, well, he wasn't sure what to do. If he left him that way he'd wake up with a bad cold and be angry. However, if Kai...did something to get him dry...well, that wouldn't settle with the half-breed either. It'd settle with Kai just fine, but Rei would definitely consider it a violation of his personal space.

So, the first thing he did was dry himself off and change. Now he was stumped. Rei was lying on the couch, getting it quite wet, and Kai was standing near him. He had pulled out an extra pair of khakis and a blue button-up t-shirt (both of which were probably too big for Rei) and a towel, but very much doubted they were of any use if he didn't do something.

'I don't want him to get sick, so I'll have to dry him off at least. And drying him won't help much if he stays in those wet clothes, so I'll have to get him into some arid ones. It's...no big deal. I don't...like him that way or anything, so why is it awkward?' He shook his head. 'It isn't.' He finally concluded.

Kai nodded, picked up the white towel and dragged the coffee table closer to the couch so that he could sit down. The first thing to go was the boy's green t-shirt (smudged with dirt). Tugging at the fabric to loosen it a bit, Kai carefully lifted it up and pulled it over the boy's head. Tossing it aside for now, the older boy brought the towel around and began brushing it over Rei's body.

He was well built (probably from all of the running and climbing he did); yet, still slender, as he did have curves towards the waist. He was just like a regular boy, except for the two green stripes along his sides. It was unusual, they didn't look the way a tattoo did, unnatural and out of place, no, the stripes were just perfect. They accentuated his curves and complemented his skin tone.

Though he desperately fought the urge to do so, Kai tentatively traced one of them. The boy's skin was smoother than the finest silk, and quite warm albeit being carried through heavy rain. From the end of his ribs, along his side, and continuing below his waist (where the rim of Rei's pants stopped him), there were no imperfections on Rei's tanned body. Kai absentmindedly tugged at the hem, his mind telling him to see where the stripe ended.

'It probably stops _right_ below the waist, but I'm curious to see if I'm right.' Just as he was about to continue tracing (his hand already tentatively reaching under the waist of his pants), a chirp from an approaching Dranzer snapped him from his daze. Shaking his head vigorously, the bluenette quickly sat back, rubbed his temples in frustration, and reached for the blue shirt.

He couldn't believe what he was doing just a moment ago. 'What did you think you were doing?! What in the _world_, did you think you were going to accomplish?!!' Before his mind could come up with an...appropriate answer, he busied himself with the task of getting Rei's slender arms through the holes of the shirt. He then buttoned it to the bottom, ensuring that there would be no more tracing of Rei's stripes.

Dranzer rested on the top of the couch and blinked. {Master Kai, why are you dressing Rei in your clothes?}

Fighting down his blush, Kai mumbled out his answer. "His clothes are wet. If he stays in them, he'll wake up with a nasty cold." He coughed. "Uh, can you check to see if Tyson is in his room?"

She nodded. {All right.} Giving her wings a light flap, she ascended and turned around to get to the other boy's room.

Of course Kai knew he wouldn't be there, but it gave him a little time to get rid of the pink on his face and get Rei into his pants.

Kai closed his eyes. 'Don't even go there...' He warned himself. Taking a breath, Kai unbuttoned the top fastener and saw...blue? After unzipping the rest he found that they were blue boxers...

'Where did he get those from?!' (2) He wasn't sure whether he was relieved or disappointed. But with the pending return of Dranzer, Kai made quick work of removing the wet, baggy pants, drying him off and refitting him with his larger pair of khakis (that definitely took longer to do than it reads). His tail was, surprisingly, not a problem, as the pants were so loose it wasn't cramped.

Letting a sigh of relief brush past his lips, Kai got up and brought the wet clothes and towel to the washing machine, which was tucked away behind an accordion door. As he set the timer and settings for it, his mind wandered back to the stripe tracing he never finished. Though he had dressed Rei quickly, he did note that the green marking did _not_ exceed the bottom rim of his boxers. So he was right. The stripe must have stopped near the top of his thigh. His mind yearned to think of where exactly, until...

{Master Kai.}

He furrowed his brows. 'Damn it.' Turning to the phoenix, she chirped out her response to her search. He didn't bother to have it translated since he knew Tyson wasn't there, so he just nodded and let her land on his shoulder.

Now all that was left to do was get Rei upstairs to his room. He couldn't let him stay on the couch since it was damp, and even though he could leave him in one of the guest rooms (there was one or two), but something in his head told him it'd be safer to have him rest in his bed. So he gently picked up the boy and made his way up the stairs, past Tyson's room, and into his own, which was at the end of the hall.

Dranzer immediately flew off to her perch and began preening herself while Kai laid Rei down on the side of his bed. There was a strong gust coming in (as the storm hadn't ended yet), so the hunter quickly closed the sliding door to the terrace. "Huh?"

{Master Kai?}

Kai blinked and shook his head. For a moment, he thought he had seen something big and white come out of the Umber woods, but he must have been mistaken. No creature would willingly come into town, especially during a heavy storm. He pulled the curtain across the doors and turned his attention back to the sleeping half-breed. Rei seemed comfortable, as he had curled up a little. It was a good thing the blankets were already pulled away, it made covering him a lot easier.

Rei smiled and dug into them, enjoying the soft feeling that he had never, until then, experienced before. It forced Kai to suppress the smirk he felt. This, he decided, was a very cute side of the raven-haired boy. He reached out to push those long bangs out of the boy's face, his hand settling on his cheek.

THUMP

Dranzer stopped preening and looked up. {Oh. Who's that?}

THUMP SCRAA SCRAA

Kai stood up and urged Dranzer to stay silent.

SCRAA WHUMP THUMP

"Sounds like it's coming from the garage." Reverting to his old self, Kai whistled for the phoenix to follow him and quickly walked out of the room.

Even though neither Kai nor Tyson owned a car, they made use of the garage. It was a storage room that they rarely used and hardly ever opened the door of, but that seemed to be where the loud noises were coming from.

THUMP THUMP SCRAA

The bluenette flicked the switch, illuminating the partially dusty room. He whistled for Dranzer to be ready for attack as he removed an old, but still sturdy axe from the shelf.

WHUMP SCRAA

The old door looked like it would break if it endured any more damage, so Kai pushed the button attached to the wall, making the garage door pull up. As soon as it opened enough, the creature ran in, instantly going for the hunter. Kai whistled, telling Dranzer to unleash her fire assault.

CWAAR

Her blaze swept up the invader and stopped it in its tracks. [Stupid phoenix, stop it!]

{Eh? What are you--}

Once the fire stopped, the creature continued its path and lunged at Kai.

"Ugh!" Using the handle of the axe, he blocked the bulk of the attack. However, the opposing force was stronger than him and knocked him down.

{Master Kai!} Dranzer flew out from her spot in the darkness and chased the beast into the main room.

[Stop attacking me!] It roared.

{After you attacked him, I will not!} Fire spread, and she was careful to only hit him and not burn the house down.

"Oh...damn it..." Quickly getting back up on his feet, Kai rubbed his shoulder as he pushed the button to close the door. Walking into the main room, he was surprised when the creature leapt up and pushed him down again, its front paws on either side of his head.

[Where is he!]

Shaking his head and focusing on the being in front of him, Kai blinked in astonishment. "It's you!"

[You better believe it is. Now where is Rei?!]

Coming up behind him, Dranzer dug her talons into the creature's back and pulled him back. {Driger, stop it!}

[Let go of me and I just might!]

Once she had pulled the tiger back far enough, she let go of him and returned to Kai's side. {What are you doing here, Driger?!} She demanded.

[I'm here to find Rei and bring him back home! I don't know why Trygle even let that human of yours bring him here, but I'm taking him back!] The tiger made a few movements and began walking towards the first door he saw.

'He must be worried like a mother would be.'

Even though Kai couldn't make heads of tails of what they were saying, he knew the tiger was here to get Rei back and intended to turn the house upside down in order to find him. Since he didn't feel like having the house torn apart, he whistled for Dranzer to stand down. This definitely caught Driger's attention.

"I don't know if you can understand me or not, but if you want to find Rei, follow me." He was right, the tiger was only able to catch the name of his friend. Kai didn't look like he was planning anything, especially since he had called the phoenix back. So, staying on his guard, Driger followed the boy at a distance.

**ooo**

Pushing his door back, Kai walked in and whistled for Dranzer to go to her perch. For once, she didn't listen and stayed on the boy's shoulder. She eyed Driger with caution as he walked through the threshold. He glanced around the room and growled. Rei wasn't in his sight.

[Where is he, hunter?] Driger growled.

Blinking, the bluenette wondered why the tiger was so upset. Glancing at the bed he saw that Rei had turned around and scooted to the other end of the bed. 'The noise from when Driger got in must have caused him to shift.' Manually moving Dranzer to her perch (and earning a numbing nip), Kai then walked over to the other side of the bed (the one closer to the terrace) and pulled the covers back so that his black tufts of hair and green striped cat ears were in sight.

[Rei!] The tiger charged over and hoisted most of himself onto the bed. [Is he all right? Why isn't he moving? Why...why is he in different clothes...?] The last question seemed to be the waviest, but also the one he seemed to be willing to injure about if the answer he got wasn't that one he wanted.

Kai had remembered to hold onto Rei so that he could finally make sense of the tiger's growls. "Rei's fine. He's sleeping now, and as you can tell, it's raining so I had to change his clothes lest he catch something, ok?" Kai was careful not to put much emotion into his voice so that it seemed that Rei and his condition wasn't that big of a deal. "And would you mind getting your claws off of my bed?"

[Hmph, fine, I'll get off, right after I get Rei.]

"What?"

[I'm not leaving Rei here with you. I thank you for...taking care of him, but now I'll bring him back to his home.]

"No." He stated firmly.

[What?]

"If you haven't noticed, there's a storm out there! It's raining pretty hard, there're high speed winds, you'll never be able to get Rei there by yourself."

[I got here just fine.]

"That's different. And now that you bring that up, I can't believe you risked coming out here! People maybe indoors, but that doesn't mean they can't see out their windows! What if someone saw you?!"

[I'm sure no one saw me. Besides, I couldn't just leave Rei here _with you_. I'd never forgive myself if something happened to him.]

Kai glared at him. "Does it look like anything happened to him? Rei's fine. I wouldn't hurt him."

[I wouldn't put anything past a hunter.] Driger removed his upper body from the bed, walked over to the other side of the bed, and settled there. [However, I guess you are right about the storm. I don't want to chance anything, so both of us will stay here tonight. Though, you can be sure that by the first light, we'll be out of here.] Sighing, Kai nodded. He wasn't going to be able to change the tiger's mind, so why bother arguing?

Hearing the timer buzz, Kai remembered about the clothes and climbed over the bed to move them to the dryer. As soon as the boy left, Dranzer turned to Driger.

{Rei is safe here, you know. People don't come around often, so his presence here shouldn't be noticed.}

[It's not the other people I'm worried about, phoenix.]

{My name is Dranzer.} She stated a-matter-of-factly. {And you needn't worry about master Kai. He does care about Rei, and won't let him be harmed.}

[Hmph...so says you.] He grumbled.

**ooo**

Max stared into the dark sky with a frown. It was getting very late and still, the storm raged on. He had hoped that the first storm was it, but that was too much to ask for. This was the real thing, and now more than ever, he sorely missed Rei.

"Don't worry, I'm sure Driger will bring Rei back soon enough." Draciel comforted the gloomy half-breed.

Max folded his wings around himself. "I doubt it, Draciel. I don't think either of them are coming back until tomorrow..."

"And what makes you think that?"

He shrugged. "I just have a feeling, is all."

Trygle spoke up about that. "Well, last time you said you had a feeling too. Maybe you have some kind of foresight."

"Maybe you should shut up and wait for this storm to end." Wolborg commented with a huff.

Since Grypholyion hadn't returned yet (Max concluded that he was waiting the storm out somewhere), Max, Draciel, Trygle, and Wolborg decided to stay in a small cave near the waterfall instead of Robert's cave to wait out the storm. Driger had left quite some time ago and without the mediator, the eagle and wolf were able to quarrel as much as they pleased. It didn't help that they were separated, Wolborg was so angry that Trygle had let Kai walk off with Rei, he almost put the bird on ice. Draciel wasn't big on fighting, so he just sat himself between the two of them and hoped it would be enough until one of them fell asleep.

"I hope this storm ends soon." Max mumbled.

"It will probably last for a while." Wolborg stated. "Storms like these don't happen often, but when they do, they run on for hours."

The blond pulled his knees up to his chest. "Man...why did it have to be today?"

"Just go to sleep and when you wake it will be all over." The wolf pushed Max against him lightly with its tail and kept it there as a makeshift blanket. "Sleep. You're safe here."

"Mm..." It was the only warmth he was going to get that night, even if it is from an ice wolf, so Max made the best of it and closed his eyes, willing himself to sleep.

Draciel glanced at the wolf. "Thank you, Wolborg."

"For what?" He questioned.

"Taking care of Max. I can't give him that kind of comfort. Rei usually does."

Wolborg shook his head and rested it on his paws. "He's a young one. No need to have him disheartened." The giant turtle also settled down and stared out into the dampened forest. It was going to be a long night.

'I do hope Driger and Rei are all right. I don't think Max would be able to handle it if the older boy wasn't around.' Closing his eyes and doing his best to drown out the sounds of the storm, Draciel pulled himself into his shell, and went to sleep.

(1) Just some wondering on her part. It would have taken too long for him to explain.  
(2) Heh, I swear I'll remember to explain that next chapter.

All done. _:phew:_ That took a bit longer than I thought, but I wanted to get the scenes right. There maybe some grammatical/spelling errors (sorry!), but not too many. I should get a beta...maybe I can bug my friend into it Ah, the responses! I skipped this last time, so here they are...

**DeathglareQueen**: It doesn't look like he got into much trouble this time, but he'll tell Kai something in the next chapter. _:hint hint:_

**Yin Yang Tiger Girl**: Thanks! Oh, Tym? He's just my little helper dude. Named after Tyrannomon, he's a good school buddy of mine that helps me with my story ideas.

**Shadow Tigress aka Kit**: Sorry for the long wait, but this one wasn't too long...I hope. Hey, how did you get Tala there?! _:waves:_ Hi Tala!

**Syaoran-Lover**: _:phew:_ When I read the first thing you wrote in the msg I was like "Oh shoot, did I do something really badly?"...then I read the rest and yea...thanks. I'm very glad you liked it. Hopefully this one was more interesting. I think I rushed it...again. I'm trying to shake the habit.

**Porticulis**: Hi hi! I finally get to respond to all of your responses! You know, you didn't have to review each chapter as you went...but thanks for doing it anyway. All the things you pointed out, I did notice at the time and ended up working on as I proceeded through the chapters. I try to remember it all as I keep going, and I really do put it to use as I type. It's hard to keep the story flowing smoothly (especially with all of the scene breakers I put it), but that's why I'm here, to practice. So, _:hugs: _thanks for pointing out my mistakes and not just saying "good job"...though you do say that too. =)

**Angelgirl10**: Ah, I knew it was 'might' instead of 'mine'. It's just that I hear my friends say 'mine' in place of it all the time and it got stuck in my head. Thanks for correcting that, and for the 'his' and 'him' thing. It's another grammar rule that slips my mind. Erg...must work on that too. _:waves goodbye:_ Thank you!

Also, cookies to **PhantasyPrincess**, **Platinum Rei**, **Shaka Dragomir Nocturnus**, **devilburns**, **alexgirl12**, **ade**, **Songs make me cry**, and everyone else who read my story! I love your reviews to pieces. They push me out of my procrastinating chair (it's so comfy), and get me back into the writing mood. =) Lots of thanks and goodies to the readers! Until next time, ashes!


	13. Dreams

Hello, hello! _:crickets:_ Hm, it sure is quite without Tym around...he's having a blast in Egypt though, so I guess I can't be too down about it. About the chapter _:happy:_ I've wanted write this one for a while. It was one of the first fragments/scenes I thought of when this plot popped into my head. If everything works out, I should be able to fit all of it in one go. However, as many of you may know, that doesn't always happen. Um, dreams and flashbacks are in _italics_, and the little '**o**' at the bottom are just tiny breakers. Alright, relax and enjoy!

Eep! I know I'm late! It's already October! _:grumble:_ Sorry, but...11th grade is terrible for a procrastinating, rather-be-writing, sleep-loving person like me. _:sigh:_ I'll see what I can do from now on.

Oh my goodness...there are no more symbols...at all! _:smacks forehead:_ Stupid quickedit thing. Well, it looks like everyone will be in quotation marks. Very sorry...hm...very confused.

_Loving Legends  
_Chapter 12 – Dreams  
Disclaimer: See prologue

"I wonder when this storm is going to let up..." Tyson mumbled to himself as he stared out the window.

"It'll probably last all night." Kenny replied. "These storms don't come along too often, but when they do, they really make their mark. I mean the last one..."

Dizzi giggled and sat down next to Tyson, unintentionally drowning out the brunet's sentence. "Guess that means you'll be stay here, tonight." She mused, as Tyson let his head fall onto his propped up arms.

"Guess so." He glanced at her. "Hey, what about Emily? How are we going to explain you being here, Dizzy?"

She shook her head. "We won't have to. Emily is staying at Mariah's tonight. And even if she were here, the only thing we'd have to explain is why you are here, Tyson."

"What? Why?"

"Because, Tyson..." Kenny stopped his typing and looked up from his spot on the other side of the table. "I already told Emily that Dizzi will be staying with us for a while. You're right, she was curious about why Dizzi was here, so we made up a little story."

"Hm, figures you would always be one step ahead."

Stifling a laugh, Kenny nodded and went back to his laptop. "That's why I'm the Chief."

**ooo **

"..." Driger was still lying on the carpeted floor, his eyes watching Kai's every move as he walked to and from his closet. Stop pacing. He grumbled as he rested his head on his paws.

Kai paused after he had picked up a spare blanket. His narrowed crimson eyes were set on Driger's suspicious ones. "What is it this time?" He asked in a ticked off tone.

"Your constant pacing is making me dizzy." Driger said casually.

Kai sighed for the umpteenth time that night. Ever since the tiger had planted himself in his room, he had been nothing but a thorn in his side. Even with Dranzer's occasional cheerful chirps, it seemed Driger was content with irritating the hunter. So Kai was now doing his best to ignore the creature altogether. He wouldn't have to do it for much longer, thankfully. Soon he'd be sleeping, and then he could finally get some peace.

'Don't let his growls get to you...' Kai brought the blanket over to the bed and gently laid it over the comforter. It was undoubtedly going to be a cold night, what with the storm and its allies, so it was better to be safe. 'Just a few more minutes and I'll be in a much needed slumber.'

"And what, may I ask, are you staring at, hunter?" Driger interrupted.

Blinking, Kai gave his head a light shake and glanced at the tiger. 'What's he trying to say now?' Reaching for Rei's hand, the bluenette grasped it lightly in his own. "Look, I don't know what you've been growling about all night, but could you give it a rest already?"

Driger tilted his head up a bit. "So now you've finally decided to listen to me."

"I've been busy locking all of the doors and windows and getting ready for bed; I didn't have time to hear what you had to say."

"Mm..."

"Eh?" Kai noticed Rei stirring, probably from the noise.

"Mn..." Burying his head deeper into the pillow, the half-breed tugged his hand out of the older boy's and pulled the covers over his shoulders.

'Guess that means that you're really cold.' Kai moved the extra blanket higher so that it could warm Rei's upper body. 'How does he stay warm in the Umber Woods? His clothes are so thin; they can't possibly keep his body temperature up.'

"Hey! Are you listening to me?!"

Dranzer nearly jumped from the sudden outburst and ruffled her feathers. "Driger, please keep your voice down! I was almost asleep." She lightly admonished.

"If your human would pay attention to me, I wouldn't have to raise my voice."

"I don't feel like arguing. She closed her eyes and settled down. Please, just stop talking until the morning light."

"Mm..." Driger too, closed his eyes and grumbled as he tried to follow her suit.

Kai, on the other hand, couldn't be happier. It was about time there was some silence in the house, he only wished Dranzer had done that earlier.

**ooo**

Wolborg silently stared out into the woods. He was still very much awake, and seemed to be enjoying the sight of the trees bending to the storm's will. For some reason, he wasn't tired. The cold didn't bother him, so the wolf felt no need to adjust. Besides, Max was contently curled against his body, threatening to drain the warmth out of him if it were possible.

Wolborg turned his head slightly to check on the boy. Even with his wings wrapped around him, and the wolf's tail covering him, the blond was shivering. 'I suppose I have to do something about the cold.' He faced the opening again. Opening his mouth and concentrating on his target, he let his chilling ice breath loose and began sealing the entrance. 'I wonder how he managed before. This isn't the first storm Max has endured.' Giving himself a little push, Wolborg finished the makeshift door, leaving a small pocket open at the top for air. It wasn't much, but it would do for the night.

Wolborg barked a cough, and rubbed his nose against his shoulder. 'I hope that'll help you, little one. I don't think there's much else I can do. I'm not Rei; I can't do whatever it is that he does.'

'Hm, Rei. Rei, Max and Robert...'

_...I can't believe you never knew._

_"Never knew about what?" He demanded in a hushed tone._

_The experiments. That enormous explosion that I thought, until today, all Umber Wood creatures noticed and felt._

_"Of course I remember that. It happened during the first week of peace after the war between the creatures here. Some humans were being careless in a building and it blew up. What about it?"_

_Don't you know what the humans were doing in that building?_

_Wolborg huffed. "Like I care about what humans do..."_

_Well you should. It was because of those experiments that Rei, Max and Robert came here. Driger said in a low voice, making sure that Max couldn't hear them._

"_What are you getting at?" The ice wolf asked curiously._

_Another time, Wolborg. Driger growled through his teeth. _

'I wonder what you were getting at, Driger.' He thought, clearly in a pensive mood. 'Experiments? Explosion? What happened? What happened to those three?'

The storm raged, the rain pounded against the icy barrier, and the darkness continued to flood the cave. Finally closing his eyes, Wolborg rested his head on his paws and gave into the approaching slumber. He'd have to think about those questions later.

**ooo**

Thunder continued to crash, and the occasional bolts of lightening casted light every now and then to brighten the town's dark shadows. Luckily, Kai's thick curtains blocked the flashes; the loud cracking sound was another issue though...

CRASH

"Nn." Rei groaned as he shifted in bed. Something inside of his person was willing him to wake up, and using the thunder as a convenient excuse, too.

CL.RACK

Though he was always the one to comfort Max during big storms like this, Rei wasn't too fond of thunder either. There was just something about the sudden sound that made him shiver with anxiety, but he couldn't figure out why.

CRR.CRASH

One thing he _did_ know, or at least, his inner self knew; it was time to wake up.

BOOM CLL.CRACK

"Ehn!" Rei's eyes snapped open as his heart steadily pounded against his chest. It was just a dream, just a bunch of...strangely vivid pictures flashing quickly through his mind. It was the first time he had ever had this particular dream, and he was positive that he never wanted to have it ever again. There was a strange, factory-like building, a bunch of different color tubes, and this tall, mysterious figure.

"No." Shaking his head into the pillow, he breathed deeply, closed his eyes again, and scooted closer to the warmth next to him.

'Wait a minute...' Reality set in, and Rei finally took in his alien surroundings. The last thing he remembered was falling into a trap in the woods, but now...where was he? Whatever he was lying on was incredibly comfortable. It was a soft, yet sturdy bedding of some kind. And the blankets were so plush and squishy that he just wanted to snuggle there forever. ... But then, there was that warmth emanating from...whom exactly?

'I have an idea, but I _sorely_ hope that I'm wrong.' Slowly opening his eyes, Rei looked up to see...a big lump of blanket. 'Uh.' Propping himself up on his left elbow, the raven-haired boy peered over the lump, pulled some of the covers back, and bit his lip. He was right; it was Kai. 'Oh my goodness...' He thought.

Rei sprang up into sitting position. He desperately tried to overlook the fact that he was in a bed with...him...and turned his attention to where he was. It was pretty dark, but he could still see clearly. He was in a fairly large room (which he assumed was Kai's) filled with miscellaneous furniture and items. A small smile crossed his face when he spotted Dranzer asleep on her perch.

'Ah, Dranzer. Guess that means I'm right. This must be Kai's house. But, what am I doing here? And how did I get here?'

"MMmmm..."

'Eh?'

"mmMMmmm..."

Rei blinked. "Driger?" He whispered. Pushing the soft covers aside, Rei slipped out of bed and walked over to the other side. Sure enough, there was the tiger, sleeping soundly on the floor. Kneeling down, the boy gently poked his arm a couple times until a bleary eye opened.

"What...?"

Rei smiled, happy to see his friend was here too. Though, that just triggered another question. "Driger, it's me. What are we doing here?"

Hearing the boy's voice, the tiger practically shot up. "Rei!" The half-breed immediately shushed him, and pointed in Kai's direction. Driger merely huffed. "Like I care if I wake him, all that matters is that you're all right." He grumbled.

He smiled. "It's good to see you, too. But please, stay quiet." If only to please the boy, Driger nodded, and then rolled his eyes. "Thanks. Now, mind explaining why we're in Kai's house?" For the first time since he had awakened, Rei noticed that he wasn't even in his own clothes. "And...I don't even know if I want to know where my clothes went..." He muttered.

"In a nutshell, Kai...rescued you from that trap you foolishly got yourself in. Then he brought you back here and, well, I'm not too sure what happened after that. After Trygle told me, I ran over here and you were already asleep." He pointedly avoided the part about Rei not coming back to their side of the mountain directly for now. He'd have to remember to have a little chat with him later.

"I see..." Rei sighed and ran a hand through his unbound hair. "Guess I have a lot of explaining to do, huh?"

"Well I'm glad that you're admitting that you need to explain something." Driger slowly got up and began walking to the door.

"Hey, where are you going?"

"Where do you think? Now that you're awake, we're leaving."

"Leaving?" He quickly eyed the slumbering hunter and shifted his eyes to the clock before Driger noticed. "But, it's only four o'clock. The sun hasn't even risen yet. Not to mention the storm is still raging. It'd be useless to go now."

"What are you getting at, Rei?"

He blinked. "Uh...I was just thinking...maybe we should, you know..."

"Stay here?" Driger volunteered.

"...Yes?" He answered a bit hesitantly.

"Rei-"

"Come on, Drig! I'm still tired," He rubbed the back of his neck. "And a bit sore from the fall, actually. It's just for a few more hours. It won't make a difference if we stay a little longer." He reasoned.

The tiger grudgingly shook his head. "Rei..."

"It's not like I really _want_ to stay. But the small of my back hurts a bit too, and this bed is so unbelievably comfortable..." He asked.

"Oh, don't start with those puppy dog eyes and sweet voice..." Rei tilted his head innocently and smiled brightly. "Ahh..." Driger groaned.

"Please?"

"..." Driger walked back over to him and stared at his pleading, golden eyes. "Mm..."

"Just this once? I mean it's not like I'll ever come here again." He patted the bed. "And this really is the most comfy bedding that I have _ever_ slept on."

"Hmph, what a convincing argument." A growl passed his lips and he plopped himself down onto the carpeted floor once again. "Please sleep as quickly as you can so that we can leave soon, all right?"

Rei beamed with happiness and hugged the tiger thankfully. "You do know that I love you, right?"

"Yea, yea..." He grumbled as he closed his eyes. Hurry and go to sleep before I change my mind.

"Yes'um!" (1) Driger tilted his head questionably at him. "I mean...yes sir!" The boy hurriedly climbed back into the warm bed and tucked himself under the covers. This really was the most wonderful sensation he had felt in a long while. It was nothing like what he had back home at the woods.

'If only I could stay here every night. It's so relaxing; I can barely feel the knot in my back anymore.' Golden orbs peered ahead, fixating on the lump of blanket that covered the boy who saved him. 'As much as I hate to admit it, he did save me. I guess I could have gotten out on my own after I woke up, but with the storm...I don't know what would have happened.' He furrowed his brows. If he was left in the trap and the storm had come, it would have filled with water. And with the nets holding him down, he would have...

Rei squeezed his eyes shut. 'Man, why wasn't I more careful?'

"Hn."

'...?' Rei tensed a bit and pretended to be asleep. 'Did I wake him up?' After a few seconds, the raven-haired boy peeked at the other and saw that he had only turned onto his back. 'Phew...' Relaxing, he opened his eyes and gazed at the hunter. He looked a lot different when he slept. 'That's definitely a new side to him.'

Kai still had his blue paint on, too. Rei smiled. It was awfully smudged and barely resembled triangles anymore. Now, maybe it was because he was drowsy, or maybe it was because he was happy about being in such a comfortable bed, but despite himself, the boy reached out and tentatively rubbed off the last bit of the smaller marking from Kai's right cheek. Then it didn't look even. So, Rei proceeded to clean up the rest as well. His fingers were marked with a chalky kind of blue now, but the older boy did look better, a lot better.

'Actually, when he isn't arguing or acting arrogant, he's...kind of...' Rei couldn't place the last word. It was on the tip of his tongue. And then, a few seconds later, he smiled. "Cute." He whispered. 'Yea, when he's sleeping, he looks cute.' Happy about his word choice, Rei's ears perked up while he fought down his blush and tried to go to sleep.

'Stop smiling already! It's late, I have to sleep!' He took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. 'Enjoy the fluffy-as-a-cloud bed, and sleep.' For some reason, his body wouldn't listen. He felt his heart beating quickly; almost like it knew something was coming. 'What's wrong with me? Why can't I--'

And then, it came. A warm, strong arm made its way around Rei's middle, gently wrapping around his waist.

'Eh...' His tail stopped moving as he felt Kai settle on his side, keeping Rei in a somewhat protective hold. The half-breed could feel the older boy's warm breath against the tip of his sensitive ear, and he lightly bit his bottom lip to keep himself quiet. 'What does he think he's doing?! No...stay quiet!' He willed himself to keep his sounds to himself. 'He's sleeping and has absolutely no control over what he's doing! This is not his fault.' Blinking, the youth bit down harder. He hadn't realized just how close they were now. His nose just barely grazed Kai's shirt.

'But it _is_ your fault for not moving away! Why am I not rolling out?! Go Rei, go!' The mantra scrolled through his head, but there was no response. It seemed not even his own body would listen. Perhaps it was in shock. Thankfully, Kai stopped moving after a few seconds, and Rei happily assumed that he was fully asleep again. That's when he let go of the breath he didn't know he had been holding.

'Thank goodness...' The thought flowed through his mind slowly like a silent prayer.

Once his heart had stopped pounding so hard, Rei began to relax and realized that this wasn't so bad. The breathing near his ears was truly nice, and being held like this reminded him of when he was little and Max hugged him in his sleep.

'Only...it isn't Max. It's Kai.' He wasn't sure why, but Rei rather much liked that thought and closed his eyes. It was a comforting feeling knowing that someone other than Robert and Max cared (even if Kai was asleep and had no control of what he was doing). So, as not to be rude, the half-breed settled into the comfort of a friend, and went to sleep.

**ooo **

_Kai stood near the entrance to the Umber Woods by himself. The morning fog was slowly beginning to fade as he looked around. He didn't know why he was there, or even how he had gotten there. All the hunter really knew was that he was supposed to be there. So he continued to scan the area, though he never once moved from his spot. _

_'Am I waiting for someone? Is someone meeting me here?' _

_Then some answers came. Actually, footsteps came. They were barely audible, but sure enough, Kai could make out the soft sound of tapping heading towards him. The only problem was that he couldn't move to meet this person halfway. It wasn't that he didn't want to, it was just...his body wouldn't obey. So he uncharacteristically waited, getting a bit impatient when they got closer and he still couldn't see this person. _

_"Hey, who is that? Who are you?" He called out. _

_There was no reply, but the figure was getting closer. _

_'Damn the fog, I can't see who it is.' He squinted, but it seemed that, even though the person was getting closer, his image was still masked by the mist. _

_Now they were within a few feet of each other, and Kai could finally make out some parts of this person. Messy onyx-colored hair, slim figure (despite the clothes), hm...long hair... yellow – no, golden eyes..._

_"Rei?" He questioned. _

_The figure didn't reply. _

_'Wait a minute, that can't be Rei, where are his ears? This person doesn't have cat ears. But his tail is...no, that's the binding of his hair...what's going on?' _

_Admittedly, Kai was confused, and he only had to suffer its bitter taste for a few seconds to pronounce that he didn't like it. There was something very familiar, yet strange about this person, and he wanted to find out what it was. So, he reached out to touch him. There, they were close enough, just a little closer...and he's reaching out too? So close...so very close...his slender fingers...they almost met...almost..._

"Rei..." The bluenette whispered as he gradually blinked his eyes open, his arm reaching out to the other side of the bed. He furrowed his brows. "Rei?" It only took him half a second to realize that he had been dreaming and his body had decidedly chosen to act out his motions. Groaning lightly, Kai brought his hand back and rubbed his eyes gently. "Damn it."

Clearly not happy with his puzzling slumber, Kai closed his eyes and returned his hand to where it was before. Digging into his pillow, he unintentionally pulled whatever his arm had surrounded closer to him and took a deep breath to try to get back to sleep.

"Nn..."

And then...

"Mmn."

He felt something push against his chest and exhale leisurely.

'...What...?' His eyes snapped open as he tilted his head down towards whatever was sleeping against him. 'Please don't be...aah...' Just as he had dreaded, it was Rei. The half-breed was happily snug between the sheets and the bed, as well as the sheets and Kai. His unbound hair surrounded his form and partially licked the blue sheets under them. He had a small smile across his face as he readjusted his position, bringing his head higher so that the crook of Kai's neck became his new pillow.

'...We were _not_ this close last night. I did not bring him _this_ close...' Unfortunately, as he tried to reason things out, his breathing tickled Rei's ears, causing them to flicker and the boy to move ever closer. 'Aah...that was not a good idea...'

Closing his eyes, Kai tried to calm himself. He took a deep breath (careful not to repeat what just happened), which actually didn't do anything along the lines of relaxing his body. All it did was allow him to get a better whiff of Rei's hair. It smelled like drops of honey...and the fresh scent of fallen rain (which was probably from going through the storm last night).

Kai decided that he should try to ignore that sense, as it wasn't helping him relax. So he switched to another, which happened to be touch. His hand rested comfortably on the small of Rei's back. Even through the borrowed shirt, the hunter could swear he felt the raven-haired boy's soft skin. He was quite warm, and at that point Kai wished he had dressed him in a shorter shirt. At least then he could feel...

'No! Forget about that sense, too! Just sto--'

"Puuurrrr..."

'Oh god...' In the midst of trying to forget touch, he had rubbed the boy's back, eliciting a new sensation for his senses to devour.

"Mmmm..." It seems the looks of a cat came with the abilities of one, too. The boy could purr, quite well too in Kai's opinion.

'Stop it! Why are you enjoying this?! No, why are you still here?! Get out now! You have to give this boy to Tala; do not do anything stupid now to mess that up!'

"Mmm...Kai..."

'...' He stopped. Kai did not move.

"Help me..." The younger boy clung to him, his smile fading with every second.

'What's he dreaming about? Why did he say my name? Should I do something...? NO! Don't even look at him. That sense will give in to him as well, but what does that leave me? Taste? Damn...'

"Kai..."

That was just about enough. If Kai stayed there, in bed, with Rei, well, he didn't trust himself that early in the morning. As carefully, and as quickly as possible for the hunter, he scrambled away and stood off to the side of his nightstand. His heart was kicking, but he just waited to see what Rei would do. He was afraid that his rapid departure would cause a little ripple, and it did. The half-breed reached out for him, but ended up stretching and curling up with his blankets again. It looked like he didn't care that Kai was missing.

"Help me..." The boy pleaded.

The older swallowed hard and ran a hand through his hair. What was he supposed to do?

Then the mumbling continued. "Help...so...hungry..."

'WHAT?!' Kai held his head in his hands and muttered to himself. He wasn't sure was more unbelievable, Rei's dream-talk or the stubborn fact that he actually wanted to help the boy out. Sighing, he decided to just forget about it. So he grabbed a fresh pair of clothes and headed for the bathroom.

**ooo**

_"No, wait Kai; I really do need your help!" Rei continued running, his arm outstretched, reaching for the one person he thought could aid him. "Please, stop! I...I need you're help! Kai!" For some reason, the bluenette was faster than he was. It didn't seem possible. He has a half-breed; his speed should surpass Kai's. However, it didn't. Rei was slowly losing ground, until he stopped completely from lack of energy. _

_"Wait..." His breathing was jagged, which was something he hadn't experienced before. Or at least, in a long, long time. "St-tupid hunter..." He leaned over, coughing incessantly until he gave in and fell over from exhaustion. He collapsed on the floor, the cold, metal floor._

_Silence reigned, occasionally broken by the boy's lone coughs. Soft tapping entered the area, closing the distance between the source and the raven-haired boy's body. A man loomed over Rei's fallen form, his shadow enveloping the half-breed. "What a poor kitty. There's no one to help you up, is there?"_

_The youth closed his eyes, and then, when he opened them again, his saddened golden eyes met lonely metal bars. He was trapped. "No..." Summoning his strength, he made his way to the walls of his confinement, and pulled at them in vain. "Help me..." He whispered._

_"But who would help a half-breed?" There it was again, that dark, resounding voice. It blackened his thoughts, pervading the hope in his being. _

_Rei blinked. The stranger's question held truth. He was so protected; he didn't know anyone outside of the woods that would do something for him. But, there was one person he trusted enough to ask for help..."...Kai. Kai will--"_

_"Kai is a hunter. Now why would a hunter help a half-breed?"_

_Forcing himself to stand, Rei leaned against the bars and desperately searched for the source of that wretched voice. "B-Because he's my friend--"_

_"No, it's because he needs you, because he wants to capture you and hand you over to some aristocrat in return for a hefty sum." _

_Rei gritted his teeth and shook his head. It wasn't the first time that thought had occurred to him, but if he could win that argument against himself, then he certainly could do the same against this shadowy voice. All he had to do was drown him out; he had to concentrate on something else..._

_He called for his friend. "Kai! Kai, can you hear me?!" Sure enough, there was the hunter, standing just a few meters away. Thrusting his arm through the space between the bars, the raven-haired boy beckoned him to help. "Kai, I knew you wouldn't leave me!" Finding his energy, the younger boy tried to get the bluenette to listen to him. "Kai! Please, I need you!"_

_"..." Kai's face was emotionless. He didn't walk towards him, or make any gesture that would indicate his coming to help. _

_"Come on, please. I need--" Rei stopped mid-sentence as he saw the hunter's actions. A smirk crossed his once blank face. He uncrossed his arms slowly, making his movements known. And all too soon, Rei realized why. Kai had a sizeable cash figure in his hand. It was nicely bagged and tied. The bag slipped into his pocket and he gave a wave over his shoulder as he walked off. _

_"..." The half-breed blinked, his hand still outstretched. A wetness soon chilled his arm as he continued to blink away the blur in his eyes. He bit his lip, unconsciously gripping the bar tighter with his other hand as he reached for the retreating figure. _

_"Kai..." The whisper choking out of his throat...his vision was almost covered. _

_"There's no one out there." A cold hand rested on Rei's shoulder, a calloused, icy hand. _

_Rei closed his eyes. "B-But...he's my..."_

_"Friend? That hunter? Don't be foolish. Now come, we have some unfinished business to attend to, Rei. Robert and Max will be joining us as well, so do not worry, you shall not be lonely." _

_"..." He swallowed, unwilling to let go of the bar. "No..." He willed himself to believe the sensation in his heart over the illusions on this man. "He's my friend. He...he saved me."_

_The man pulled at his shoulder. "Come along now, Rei, I was the one who saved you from these humans. I made you who you are, and now it's time for you to repay me!! Let go!" He commanded._

_Now more than ever, Rei refused to go. "Stop! Kai! Kai!"_

"Kai!—aah!" Rei tumbled off of the bed and onto the floor, the majority of the blankets following his suit. He quickly pushed them aside and looked around. A weight lifted from his shoulders when he realized that he was still in Kai's room, wrapped in Kai's covers...and still in Kai's clothes, too. "Eh..." He sighed in relief as he let his body slump against the mattress. "It was...a dream..." He murmured.

"What was a dream?"

Rei's head snapped up. A bright smile crossed his face. There was Kai, standing next to the threshold of the bathroom. He wore a confused expression, as well as only half of his trademark triangles. "Kai..." He breathed.

The bluenette eyes him curiously. "Are you all right, Rei?" He asked quietly (Dranzer and Driger were still sleeping).

"...Un!" Relieved that everything had been a figment of his imagination, Rei bolted up and ran towards him. Of course, opportunity couldn't pass up the chance, so...Rei's feet got tangled in the sheets, he tripped, and as luck would have it, he did not have to meet the floor for a third time in that short period.

"Rei!" The older boy steadied himself and slowly brought the clumsy boy to his feet. This was the second time he had to be Rei's cushion, and though it felt nice, he hoped it wouldn't become a habit. "Are you sure...you're ok?" He questioned, his voice laced with worry.

"Mm..." Rei felt his eyes light up. It seemed like Kai would always be there when he needed him, and all past matters of mistrust left him. "Yea...I'm ok." He looked up to meet Kai's curious stare, and smiled back. "Embarrassed, but ok."

Kai blinked and faked a cough. "Yea, I think that feeling is mutual."

Rei tilted his head, his ears twitching. "Eh?"

He looked away and let Rei fill in the blanks. This, after careful examination, wasn't too hard to do. Since his falling-out-of-bed incident had brought Kai out of the bathroom in a hurry...he wasn't exactly...finished. His cargo pants were on just fine, but his shirt was, well, it just wasn't there. And since he had caught Rei out of the spur of the moment...

"Oh...uh..." The half-breed quickly found his balance and pulled away from the bluenette. "Sorry." He fought down his blush and shrugged innocently. "I was just...the dream I had was...yea!" He finished with a laugh. He had never been too good with hiding his emotions, so laughing usually helped...a bit.

"Ok..." Kai stepped forward and placed his hand on Rei's forehead. That only helped to increase the red of his cheeks. "You aren't sick from the storm last night, right?"

"N-No. I'm fine! I just had a...a um..."

"Nightmare?" Kai offered.

He nodded sheepishly. "Yea, that's it." Rei was so flustered, but he wasn't sure why.

Kai furrowed his brows and removed his hand. "If you're sure..." With that, he turned around and walked back into the bathroom.

Rei watched him leave, yelling at himself for acting so childish. 'And Max calls me mature...' He headed back to the naked bed and proceeded to cover it. It seemed like the very least he could do. So he began tossing all of the blankets back and straightening them out as best he could. Actually, he wasn't sure where everything went, but did it matter? 'They're just blankets, why should it matter if one is on top of another?' He went according to color, and thickness, putting the darkest, fluffiest blue on the bottom, and piling the others on that one accordingly.

"There, that looks pretty good!" He exclaimed with a smile. It kind of looked like a present, with the largest, thinnest piece wrapping the entire thing. Having finished his self-appointed duty, the raven-haired boy began to straighten his clothes. They were so baggy; they practically fell off of him. In fact, the shirt's collar hung around the middle of his chest.

"Heh...I wonder where my clothes went..."

"They're on the chair over there."

"Ee!" Rei's ears shot up and his tail went rigid from fright. "I really wish you'd stop...stop sneaking up on me like that!" He declared as he pivoted to meet a now fully dressed Kai.

He shrugged. "It's not my fault you scare easy. And your clothes are there." He pointed to a chair over in the corner of the room. Sure enough, Rei's garments were resting neatly on the cushioned seat.

"Ah, great! I really want to get out of these things." He stated, tugging at the loose material, unaware of Kai's 'How can you not be grateful?!' stare. Though, he recovered when he felt those crimson eyes drilling into his body. "Um, not that I'm not grateful or anything!" The youth quickly mumbled out. "Really, thanks! I can't even begin to tell you how appreciative I am for your help."

Shifting his steady gaze from a flustered Rei to his newly made bed, Kai raised a brow. "I guess this is part of your thanks?" He motioned to the bed.

"Oh yea! It's not much, but look how tidy it is!" The half-breed cheered.

"Hm..." Kai figured that Rei had absolutely no idea how a bed was supposed to be made (since he never had to do it before), so he passed on the sarcasm, and just smirked. It resembled a blue marshmallow now that the flat sheet (2) was covering the top and tucked under the mattress. He turned away and let a chuckle or two escape his lips.

"What?" Rei asked. "Didn't I do it right?" Kai waved his hand at him and continued to hold his amusement. "Hey, I never did this before. I was just trying to help." He reasoned.

"I know...and I'm, heh...I'm thankful." Kai rubbed the back of his neck and walked over to the chair. He picked up Rei's clean clothes and tossed them to him. "Why don't you get changed so that you can leave? I'm sure that tiger of yours is dying to get you home."

Blinking, Rei caught his clothes and looked over his shoulder. Driger was still asleep. Should he wake him? The rave-haired boy wasn't sure if he wanted to go yet...it was still early after all. "Uh, yea...huh."

Kai nodded and headed out the door. "Fine. Just try to make a quiet exit. It may be early, but some of the townspeople could be walking around."

"Heh, with Driger around, maybe's don't exist." He said with a smile. "But I guess I could try, seeing as I owe you a lot now."

"You don't owe me anything." Kai muttered.

"How can you say that?" The half-breed was stunned, but still managed to say his peace. "Kai, I owe you my life."

Kai stopped at the threshold. '...Life...' The thought ran through the hunter's mind. 'You might just lose yours by my hands later...' He stated solemnly. That clouded his mind. 'Why should I be sad about it? This never bothered me too much before. I _chose_ to accept Tala's offer, just like I chose...to save Rei last night...just like I'm choosing to feel this way about him...' He closed his eyes, giving his head a light shake. 'What's happening to me? What exactly have I chosen to feel?'

Waiting for his response, Rei walked up to him and poked his shoulder. Kai tilted his head to his direction a little. The younger offered a smile. "Why don't you think about it? I'm sure I can do something to repay you...other than making your bed. It seems like I'm not too useful for that kind of work." He faked a pout. "Apparently my way isn't the Kai way, right?" Rei didn't wait for an answer. "Just remind me that I owe you, ok? I hate to be in your debt."

The bluenette turned around completely and nodded absently. "Hn."

"Good. Now...do you think you have some spare cloth or something I can use to bind my hair back?" He picked at a few strands of his midnight hair, which was not only tangled, but also a complete mess. "Even a tie to pull it back into a ponytail would do."

"Why don't you just leave it the way it is?" Kai suggested, his senses finally allowing him to form a sentence.

"Why? It'll just get in the way if I leave it out." He pushed all of it behind him; however, a few stubborn strands fell over his shoulder. "What good is it if I leave it unbound anyway?"

Kai shrugged. "Well, you went through all the trouble of taking care of it, why not show it off?" He held a few of the silky tresses in his hand, letting them slowly fall across his fingers. "Besides, you look...cute." He finished with a light smile, a very light smile.

"..." Rei's eyes flickered in confusion, his ears following in suit by relaxing and folding down.

"Mm...eh...food..." A grumble came from the opposite corner.

"Uh!" The half-breed turned towards the sound and saw that Driger was finally waking up. Then he heard footsteps drifting away. Kai had left. "Kai?" Left by himself, Rei rubbed his temple. Something about that seemed very familiar...but he couldn't quite place it. '...Cute?'

_'Actually, when he isn't arguing or acting arrogant, he's...kind of...' Rei couldn't place the last word. It was on the tip of his tongue. And then, a few seconds later, he smiled. "Cute." He whispered. 'Yea, when he's sleeping, he looks cute.'_

"EH?!" A jolt ran through his body as he recalled what he had foolishly said last night. 'No way it was a coincidence! I mean, since when does Kai even say that word?! But...that would mean...' The pieces came together bit by bit, and the end result petrified him. "He heard me?!" He exclaimed. Groaning, Rei quickly covered his mouth, letting his clothes fall to the floor. 'Why did I say that out loud?!' He pestered himself with his own question, in complete disbelief of his current situation.

Slowly making his way to the bed, he fell on it, his face making contact with the light blue sheet. "Man I'm stupid..." He mumbled into the fabric.

"...Eh, what?" Waking up at last, Driger roared a yawn and eyed the fallen boy oddly. "Did you just say that you're stupid, Rei?"

The boy made no effort to acknowledge the tiger's presence, but did respond. "...Yes." He muttered.

"Oh." The creature yawned again and rested his head on his paws again. "Alright, just checking."

**ooo**

Reaching the kitchen, Kai placed his hands on his head and grumbled. His mind was an absolute mess. Not only was he unsure of his mission (even more so than before), but he had also told Rei something he probably shouldn't have. 'Agh...when did things get so complicated?! Where's the black and white that I love? When did I get thrown into this damn world of grey?!' (3)

KNOCK

He looked up. "Hm?"

KNOCK KNOCK

'Tyson?' Kai put his arguing aside and headed for the door. 'No, Tyson wouldn't get up this early just to come back home.' Taking hold of the knob, the hunter questioned the source. "Who is it?"

"Who do you think would come by this early?"

Instantly recognizing the voice, Kai forgot all about his problems – new ones were replacing them and multiplying. 'Oh shit.'

"Come on Kai, let me in. It's not storming, but it's still cold." The person persisted.

"Uh...hold on." He glanced at the staircase, unsure whether or not this was a good idea or not.

"What do you mean, hold on? Either let me in or leave me here!"

Kai smirked. "Oh yea...?"

"Just cut it out and let me in already! I'm freezing!"

He sighed. There was no way around it; he just had to hope that Rei didn't come down. "All right." Unlocking the door, Kai turned the knob and pulled it back. A chilly redhead stumbled in, hugging the folds of his jacket in the process.

"Finally!" He yanked his turtleneck down and shook his head. "What's the big idea leaving me out there to freeze?! Talk about hospitality..." He muttered sarcastically.

"Yea, just be glad I let you in." The bluenette commented as he shut the door behind him. "What are you doing here, anyway?" He asked suspiciously.

"Just seeing how you're doing on the assignment. I mean, how long has it been, Kai? My employer is going berserk." The boy rubbed his hands together, trying to warm them up. "He calls me at least twice an hour, every freaking hour of the day asking for updates!"

Kai crossed his arms. "I told you, Tala, this is no cake walk. If you want this done right, it'll take time. Believe me; no other hunter can get this job done better than I can."

The other boy tilted his head. "Forgive me, but your credibility has been knocked down a few pegs based on your recent progress."

Kai crossed his arms. "Don't lose what little faith you have. I will finish what I started."

"..." Blue eyes met crimson ones, neither shade wavering in the least. "For your sake, I hope you keep that promise." Tala said in an almost expressionless tone.

He then proceeded into the kitchen, with Kai following at a slower pace. 'I will finish it. Personal feelings have never and _will never_ get in the way of my job.' Though the statement was processed without a doubt, Kai could feel a wave of displeasure course through his person. 'It's true, so...why isn't my body listening to me?'

"Hey Kai, come on. I completely forgot where everything is in here. Where do you keep the coffee?"

He didn't respond; the matter at hand was far too important to be interrupted. Well, not by Tala at least...

"Kai, who is that?"

"!!" Shifting his gaze, the hunter was surprised to see Rei standing in the middle of his staircase. He was back to his regular appearance, ah, all except for his hair. He had kept it down. "Rei!" He whispered. Fear sprang through his body. If Tala saw Rei here, he'd have him taken away.

'This is perfect! Just hand Rei over now before things get out of hand.'

'But...I can't...'

'Why not?! This solves everything! Tala will be happy; you'll get your money--'

'But then I won't be able to figure out what these emotions are.'

'Why find out? They only hinder your job performance!'

"Kai?" Rei mumbled quietly. He came down a few more steps, bringing them to eye level. "Hey, are you ok?"

"Uh..."

'See, you can't even form a sentence around him! Just push him through the door and let Tala take him!'

'But I want to know why I can't form a sentence around him! I want to know why I want to smile when he does! Why does my body act this way when Rei is near me?!'

'How the hell should I know?! Just finish what you were supposed to do. You promised Tala.'

"Kai, what's the hold up?" Came an inpatient voice from the kitchen.

"Who's in that room, Kai?" Came another, this one much softer and sweeter than the last.

'You promised Tala.' He could hear footsteps approaching from the kitchen.

'But I also made a promise to Rei. I told him...I'd protect him.' The tapping steps grew louder, the redhead was getting closer.

'You said you'd protect Max, not this half-breed!' The footsteps were so close.

'But...I _want _to protect Rei.'

"Kai?"

"Kai!"

"Nn?!" Just as the door to the kitchen began to swing open, the hunter pushed it back, effectively stopping Tala and causing him to fall backwards.

"Ow!"

Rei blinked curiously. "Uh...what did you do that for-whoa!" The raven-haired boy was swiftly pulled from the stairs and pushed roughly into the nearby closet. "Kai, what are you--" His mouth was covered by Kai's hand before he could finish his sentence.

"Shut up and do not move." He commanded.

"Eh...what did you say to me--" The door closed with a slam, and Kai quickly stood in front of it as an annoyed Tala popped out of the kitchen.

"Kai! What the hell is your problem?!" He demanded as he rubbed his nose.

"...Sorry, I was coming to help you, but it was just unfortunate timing, I suppose." He answered with a small shrug.

The redhead glared daggers at him, his icy eyes zeroing in on the bluenette "..." Grumbling to himself, Tala stomped back into the kitchen, kicking the swinging door open as he went.

Kai breathed a sigh of relief. "That was close..."

'Wouldn't have been close if you had just given Rei up.'

'Admit it, it would have been much easier if you had only given him up! You've always listened to your head in the past, so why the sudden change?!'

'...This is different. Rei is--'

"Kai?" A muffled whisper reached his ears.

The hunter slowly opened the door he had been blocking, revealing a ticked off half-breed. "Rei."

The boy had his arms crossed, his cat ears pointed and slanted down. "Mind telling me what that was all about?" He asked calmly.

"I would, but this isn't over yet." He glanced at the door to the kitchen, making sure Tala didn't decide to check up on him again. "Please, just stay in here. I'll explain later."

"No! You can't make me--"

"Kai?" Tala's voice rang out once more.

"Shit!" Kai slammed the door on Rei again and raced into the kitchen. There stood the redhead, a confused look on his pale face. He cleared his throat and tried to be casual. "What do you want?"

"I wanted to know what that yelling I heard was." He replied.

"Oh that? It was...probably some annoying kids outside."

Glancing at his watch, Tala quirked an eyebrow. "Kids running around, at 7:30 in the morning?" He questioned in an incredulous tone.

Never losing his stoic expression, Kai nodded. "Yes."

Tala tilted his head. "Uh...huh..."

**ooo**

"Rei? Hey, Rei? Where did you go?" Driger slowly descended the staircase, careful not to break or step on anything (on Rei's request). Upon entering the living room, he scanned the room and began sniffing him out. "Rei? Come on, where did you go?"

The rumble of his roar reached a boy's sensitive ears. "Huh?" Rei pushed his hair back and put his ear up close to the door.

"Rei? Say something!"

"Driger?" Carefully opening the door, Rei peered out through the crack and smiled as he spotted the tiger roaming the area. "Hey, over here!" He whispered.

"What?" Driger walked over to the closet and gazed at the half-breed curiously. "Rei, what are you doing in there, hide and seek? We have to go!"

"I know, but Kai has to explain all of this to me. He's in there with another boy, so I think that's why I can't--"

"What? Another human?! You have got to...no; _we_ have got to get out of here, now!"

"But Kai told me not to--"

Biting on the boy's shirt, Driger began pulling him out of the closet. "Let's go before he finds you and catches you!"

The raven-haired youth tried to gently tug his shirt out of the tiger's mouth. "Driger...stop it! They'll hear you!"

"They might hear me, but they'll only understand you!" He commented and continued pulling.

"Drig, please..." The creature wouldn't let up; he was concentrating on getting them out of the hunter's house. He was so wrapped up in trying to overpower Rei; he didn't notice the sofa behind him...and accidentally bumped into it.

SCHRE

"Drig!" Rei scolded.

**o**

"...?" The redhead in the kitchen turned his attention to the swinging door and more importantly, to what was in the next room that had caused the noise. "Hey, what was that, Kai?"

**o**

"Uh...oops?" The tiger grinned sheepishly, his teeth finally tearing through the fabric of Rei's shirt.

**o**

Kai grabbed onto his friend's arm in an effort to stop him. "It's nothing! Must have been Dranzer! You know how loud she can be sometimes."

**o**

"I can hear them coming!" The raven-haired boy mumbled. Grabbing hold of the tiger's fur, he ushered them both to the garage door. "Hurry, get in!"

**o**

Despite Kai's excuses, Tala continued going towards the door. "Kai, let go of me will you?" Tala continued to walk towards the door, his pace considerably hastened by Kai's antics. "You've been acting really weird lately!"

**o**

"Hey, I'm not going back into that dank garage!" Driger roared as he resisted Rei's push. It wasn't working too well though, as the boy had pretty much shoved him all the way in.

**o**

"Tala, I thought you wanted something to drink, or eat...something?!" The hunter knew that Rei had stayed where he was, but he couldn't say the same for that tiger of his. Those roars were most definitely his. 'Oh, what's that damn tiger think he's doing?!'

**o**

"Just stay quiet, stay put, and don't move, and don't you dare go anywhere!" The raven-haired boy commanded as he closed the garage door with a bang. 'Shh...that wasn't smart.' He could hear the footsteps against the kitchen tiles grow louder, his heartbeat rising in direct variation to it. 'Got to hurry!' Throwing his hair behind his over his shoulder in a hurried fashion, Rei dashed for the closet, closing it tightly with a muffled thump. 'Eh? Oh come on!' One of Kai's jackets had gotten caught between the lock, its sleeve hanging out on the other side in pain. He would have fixed it, but...

**o**

"Kai let go!" With a final tug, Tala broke out of Kai's hold and stumbled out into the living room. "Huh?" Staring into the living room, his icy blue eyes were met with...nothing.

"Hey, I'm just trying to stop you from--?" Pushing the door aside, the bluenette met the same, empty sight. A weight lifted off of his shoulders. 'Thank god.'

"..." The redhead was oblivious to Kai's relief. He was too busy being confused. 'I could have sworn I heard...' "Kai, I thought you said Dranzer was making all of that noise." He stated as he whirled around to face the crimson-eyed boy.

"Oh." He regained his composure and shrugged casually. "She must have gone back upstairs. She probably didn't want to interrupt us."

"Interrupt us? We weren't doing anything." Tala countered.

Kai racked his brains, and threw out the first thing he thought of. "We were talking in the kitchen. She's a smart phoenix. Dranzer must have assumed that we were discussing my assignment and didn't want to intrude until we were done."

Azure eyes studied steady ruby ones for one second...and then another, before breaking the gaze. Tala dropped his shoulders and turned away, allowing Kai to congratulate himself for another job well done.

'Sounds like they done talking. Hm, I don't know if I should risk brining in that sleeve though...' Rei pondered his situation, giving the cloth a hesitant tug. Unfortunately, that was enough to bring most of the material back into the closet, and pushing the door out a bit. 'Shoot!'

"Eh?" His sharp senses catching the silent action, Tala faced the closet door and walked towards it. "What was that?"

"What was wh--" Upon realization, Kai cursed, the weight returning to his shoulders. It was too late to stop the redhead though, as he was already at the opening, his hand gripping the brass knob. "Tala, wait!" Deaf to Kai's words, the boy gave the handle a pull, the light of the living room slowly flooding into the dreary closet.

Rei's heart stopped. 'T-That's not Kai's scent. It must be...the other human!' He swallowed hard and bit his lip, completely frozen. He backed up against the wall; the four jackets clearly not enough to cloak him. He was trapped, with few options left. 'Damn it.'

(1) Yes'um is short for 'yes mam/mum' so...he had to switch to 'yes sir'  
(2) A flat sheet is an optional part of a bed's set of sheets. It's the one under the comforter, and should be closest to your body if you have it.  
(3) When kids get older, most teachers or parents start telling them that sometimes there are no clear-cut answers (black or white – yes or no). Sometimes there are no answers, or at least, no clear answers (grey – maybe), and the kids get frustrated when they learn of this new concept.

Ugh...I'm done. Lookit, only five days late...heheh...yea. Again, I'm sorry. I won't make any of those promises again unless I'm absolutely sure about my update time. With this new school year, I can't be positive about anything yet. So, as not to give anyone false hope or anything, I'll just say the next chapter should be out _around_ Halloween or so. Since this is an evil cliff, I'll do my best to continue shortly. Luckily, Tym will be back by then, so maybe he can help me out.

Ah, the thank yous! You guys know that I love all of your reviews to death! They are the little tropical umbrellas in my non-alcoholic beverages! _:smile:_ I'm very grateful to everyone who takes the time to leave me one, even if it's short. And to those people who just read, well, I hope my imaginative play makes you smile.

**Porticulis** – Aah, I hope things were a little better this time. I'm not too sure actually, since my attention was a bit divided in certain parts (which may show). I'm not sure if others will see it, but something isn't quite right here...there's...a rift in the story. If you don't notice it, it could just be me being overly critical of my work. But know that I do intend to re-write this entire thing later to smooth out the wrinkles. Some aspects I simply incorporated too late. _:sigh:_ My amateur mistakes at work. Anyway, you know that I appreciate any suggestions that you have, and I'll do my best to improve as this rolls along. Yes, first impressions are the most lasting for a lot of people, I trust mine wasn't too bad _:smile:_

**Ilex-Aquifolium** – No need to worry, I won't let this story die. I love it too much! _:huggle:_ I may take a while to update, but it'll come eventually if you keep an eye out for it. It seems like I do monthly updates, but like I said, it depends on how busy I am. Thanks for reviewing!

**ChibiNekoSakura **– Thank you _:blush:_ The idea? I'm not sure...I guess after all the stories I read and how people characterize Rei so closely with a cat...I had to see what would happen if he were part feline _:shrug:_ Something exploded in my head after that and this concept showed up! Ok, maybe that's not how it happened, but it was something like that. When my mind wanders strange things happen. Heh.

**Neko Phoenix Girl** – Yes, I did check out your story. I believe I left a review, too. It was very good. It made my day. _:smile:_ You said that you were going to do a sequel, not sure if you submitted it yet. I haven't checked the Beyblade section in a while.

**Syaoran-Lover **– Don't worry, I'll explain it all...later. _:evil laugh:_ No, I will. It's kind of important, unless you've already figured something out. Actually, I didn't think that one was such a high cliff...this one could be though. I'll just go type...now. Thanks and bye! _:quickly runs and hides behind random plushies:_

**Angelgirl10 **– You don't have to hesitate to tell me if something doesn't sound right. I can take it. Or, at least, I'll be able to take it after I eat a cookie. _:munch:_ Yea, Kai isn't really the pondering type (love that word), but it's hard to make him pensive without overdoing it or kicking him out of his character _:grr:_ It's just something I need to practice since he'll be thinking a bit more later. Eh, it's ok about the update thing. I ask authors to do that too...sometimes...it is just curiosity at work. I'll do my best, though! Thanks again!

**Kitty **– Aah, Grypholyion is a griffin (I must have misspelled that four times throughout the entire story by now), a mythic creature with the body of a lion, and head/fore feet/wings of an eagle. So, you were pretty much on the nose! _:gives cookie:_ Actually, I'm not too sure if I got all of that right. Um...I bet you guys are dying to correct me, so please do so! He is male in my story (and is usually male in other fics) that much I am sure of.

Also **thanks** and **cookies** to: Sarcasmcat, Tariki Rania, Kit (Shadow Tigress), Shaka Dragomir Nocturnus, TNTiggris, Nothinglittlegirl, Platinum Rei, LordIronDuke126, devilburns, saFire flame, and Cross Hunt-s! You guys are great! I appreciate your words of encouragement and...happy...thoughts? Yes! _:grin:_ Thanks again!

Ok, now I'm really done! I must have taken up a page with those thanks, but I feel I should write them out since you all took the time to tell me what you think! Once again, feel free to say what you think. As long as there's some reason to your words and it's not random shouts or flames (eek), I'm happy to hear it. I'm still a student when it comes to writing, so I'm definitely not perfect. Sorry if there were spelling/grammatical errors here, my buddy didn't have time to beta it! _:grumble:_ Darn school work...

Until next time! Ashes!


	14. Dawn of a Storm

SS – …How long has it been? …Too long! Let's not make it longer, ok?  
Tym – Thanks for mentioning my return, by the way. Egypt was amazing! Man, I wish I could have stayed there--  
SS – He came back weeks ago, but I'll let him rant. So, does everyone remember what happened last time? Good. If not, just flip back and give the ending a once over. _:smiles:_ Here goes!

_Loving Legends  
_Chapter 13 – Dawn of a Storm  
Disclaimer: See prologue or another chapter

**Note**: Any long passages in _italics_ are flashbacks for this chapter. I'm sure it'll be noticeable.  
**Warning**: It's winter and cases of OOC have been reported. It's spreading rapidly; so some of the characters in this chapter may be showing symptoms of it. Please keep your distance. ;D

Tyson lazily arched his back and yawned as he sat up on the couch. It was already well into the morning, but considering how thunderous the storm had been last night, he didn't manage to get much shuteye. Hastily "combing" his hair with his hand, the blue-haired boy grabbed his hat and made his way to the kitchen.

"Morning, Tyson." Kenny greeted him upon his arrival. Seems that he had been awake for a while since the plate in front of him was already empty and the smell of eggs was slowly dissipating from the room. "I was wondering when you'd get up."

The boy succumbed to another yawn, which was followed by a groan. "Man Chief, you already finished breakfast?" He slumped into a chair, folded his arms on top of the table and rested his head on them. "The least you could have done was save me some."

The brunet looked up from his laptop and shrugged. "Actually, I did."

Snapping his head up, Tyson skimmed the room. "You did?" He asked jubilantly.

"Uh…yea. Well…I _did_." He mumbled with a cat-ate-the-bird expression on his face.

Tyson's eyes dimmed considerably. "Aww…don't tell me you ate it?!"

"Of course he didn't, Tyson. But that doesn't mean that I followed his suit…" A new voice responded.

"…You didn't…" The boy commented in an accusing tone when he spied the culprit.

With a small smile gracing her face, Dizzi cantered over to Kenny's side of the table and picked up his plate. "I'm sorry, Tyson, but I was curious. I had never eaten human food before and it smelled really good!"

Keeping a constant glare on the fairy, Tyson snorted. "Oh yea, like that'll make me and my stomach feel better."

The younger boy closed his laptop. "Don't worry about it. I can always make some more." Kenny suggested as he got up and walked over to the refrigerator.

"Thanks, buddy. I owe you, I swear!" The lazy boy exclaimed.

As the shorter youth closed the door, he headed for the stove shaking his head. "It's no problem. Just give me a minute."

"Hey, Kenny! If you're making more, could I have another taste?" Dizzi questioned innocently.

"Well…uh…"

"Dizzi, that batch is for me!" Tyson scrambled out of his seat and tried to catch the fairy before she could influence the boy any further.

"Oh, don't be such a Buta." (1)

"?! What did you call me?!"

"Nothing! Just don't be one!"

"But what was that? An insult?!"

"No! Well…not really…"

With a sigh, Kenny proceeded to crack the eggs that he had brought out. Taking hold of the whisk, he began to blend the yolks together. 'Man…this'll be a long morning…'

**ooo**

"Ok, how's that?"

"Hn."

"All right, and just what is that supposed to mean?" The raven-haired boy questioned as he continued with his gentle ministrations.

"…Hn."

Rei glared at him, threatening to drill holes into the back of the hunter's head. "Well, do you want me to go harder, lower, anything…?"

There was a slight pause before his diminutive answer came. "…Hn."

"Kai!" The half-breed groaned. "Come on, I need an actual answer!"

"Fine." He responded. "A little harder."

Rei applied a bit more pressure. "Like that?"

Kai arched his back a little and gave another 'hn' in response.

Grumbling, Rei was beginning to rethink his whole act of thanks. He paused for a moment and readjusted his position on the bluenette's back. He was straddling the older boy on the couch, so his legs were beginning to cramp out on him as it had been a good fifteen minutes already. "I'll be lucky if I can walk properly after this…" He mumbled.

Tilting his head up from its place on his arms, Kai smirked. "Well _you're_ the one who wanted to do this, remember?" He was lying on his stomach, his arms resting comfortably on the armrest of the couch. "And don't stop yet." He added before closing his eyes.

" 'And don't stop yet…' " Rei mimicked in a sarcastic tone. "Jeez, could you be a little more appreciative of my services?" He asked as he resumed his actions.

"Well next time, could you be a little more graceful and not fall on me?" Kai countered.

"…Shut up." He purposely applied more pressure than necessary, earning a grunt from the hunter under him.

"Watch it, Rei…"

"If you don't like the way I massage, then too bad." When he was answered with silence, the raven-haired boy sighed and returned to the way he had done it before. Starting from Kai's shoulder blades, he slowly made his way down to the small of his back, gently rubbing circles with his palms and using his thumbs to remove the knots and kinks.

"…Thank you." He said, grateful that the pressure was stable again.

"I do owe you, so I should do a good job…I suppose. But after this, I'm completely out of your debt, right?"

Kai quirked an eyebrow. "Oh really? Just this morning it sounded like you'd climb mountains to make up for me saving your life, and now you're settling for a little massage?"

Rei shrugged as he began a steady rhythm just below the hunter's shoulder blades, where he suspected it hurt the most. "Considering you stuffed me in a closet like a jacket and didn't stop that boy from checking out my hiding place…yes."

Shaking his head, Kai figured arguing wouldn't do much good, especially now that Rei was in a very powerful position. So he sacrificed a bit of his pride for the sake of his back. Besides, he was enjoying his treatment. "Fine."

'_Damn it!' Rei began to panic as the door slowly creaked open. Quickly scanning his only space, he looked up, bit his lip, and gave that solution a try. _

"_And behind door number one, we have…" As Tala pulled the handle, the contents of the closet flooded with light, revealing… "…eh?"_

"_We have my jackets, two questionable umbrellas, Tyson's coats and a few stray shoes! Congratulations, Mr. Ivanov." Kai answered sarcastically. _

"_But…" The redhead stepped closer, pushing the clothes aside and letting confusion fill his blue eyes. "I could have sworn I…" _

'…_Goodness…' Rei breathed heavily, keeping his hands pressed firmly against the walls of the closet and his feet securely on the top of the pole supporting the jackets and the opposing wall. 'Hurry up!' He tried to keep calm, but it wasn't working too well considering his right foot was losing its grip against the wall. He had been in such a haste to get up and hide that he didn't have time to get into a comfortable or practical position. _

"_If there's nothing in here, then why did the door open…" Tala muttered to himself._

_As if knowing what a compromising situation Rei must be in, Kai began to lead his associate away from the closet and towards the front door. "My money is on the wind. Either from those," He motioned to the windows along the walls of his house. "Or from the draft that sometimes rolls in from the upper levels of the house."_

_The boy with frost-colored eyes furrowed his brows. "But wouldn't wind make the door close?" He reasoned._

"_For heaven's sake, Tala, just let it go, would you? Stop being so suspicious of me and my home."_

"_Sorry," They stopped in front of the main entrance for a moment. "It's just…I feel like you're hiding something from me, Kai." The redhead confessed. _

"_Such as…?" The bluenette continued to remain his usual self, though the fact that Rei was likely to make an appearance soon plagued his mind. _

"…" _Taking one last glance around the house, Tala finally sighed. "I don't know." He shrugged. "I suppose even if you _did_ have something going on around here, it's none of my business unless it concerns that half-breed you owe me." _

_Almost as quickly as the words left his mouth, Kai opened the door and began pushing him out. "Believe me, it has nothing to do with…that. It's just something Tyson's been up to. Don't worry about it. I'm sure you have tons of other things to worry over, anyway."_

"_Yea, like my boss kicking my ass for not getting that creature by now! That and the hunter I hired shoving me out into the cold--what is your hurry, Hiwatari?!" He exclaimed._

"_Nothing! I'll update you later!" With his final words, Kai shut the door, locked it, and leaned against it. Waiting for five or ten seconds to pass, he let go of his heavy breath and closed his eyes. "…Damn it all." He rubbed his forehead. 'I could have ended it all right then. Tala would be happy, I would have gotten my reward, and then I probably would have taken a nice vacation.' Shaking his head, he got off the door and began walking to the closet. 'I swear, this stress is going to kill me someday.' Stepping inside, he pushed all of the coats aside and rummaged around. 'I hope Rei didn't hear what Tala said…' _

"_Rei?" He called, his voice echoing slightly._

"_Kai? I-Is that guy gone, yet?" The half-breed managed to mumble out without losing his hold. _

"_If he wasn't then I wouldn't be talking to you." He took another look around. "Where are you, anyway?" _

_Trying to adjust his position, he pushed up a bit so that his arms could rest a little. "I'm up here."_

_Looking up, Kai could only make out a bit of white from Rei's tail. His raven hair and dark clothes made it practically impossible for the hunter to see, especially since the light wasn't on. "Huh, quick thinking. Well, you can come down now." _

_He smiled. "Great." Just as he shifted his footing on the pole, his right foot slipped completely. "Eh!?" A feeling of panic surged through the boy's body as his hands lost their hold as well, causing him to fall out of the small hideout. "Ah!" _

_Kai hadn't moved, not that he could have with such a warning. "What-urg!" Though he had caught the half-breed, the momentum behind him resulted in both of them hitting the floor. The hangers of the coats and jackets jingled a bit, almost in laughter of the situation._

_They both ended up in a cluttered mess on the limited ground of the closet, with Rei's head cushioned by Kai's stomach and the rest of him somewhat saved from the hard fall by the garment he had caught on the way down. The older boy however, wasn't quite as lucky…_

"_Oh…fuck." Kai groaned as he massaged his head, which had scraped against the wall of the closet. Adding in the last minute descent of a nearby umbrella, which happened to fall off of its hook and smack Kai squarely on the head by its length, the hunter was not in a good mood or condition. _

"_Nn…ow." The golden-eyed youth squeezed his eyes shut before opening them slowly, as if preparing himself for the effects of his actions. "That was definitely an experience I don't want to remember." Realizing what he must have been sitting on… "Oh, Kai." Rei sat up carefully and leaned forward, having just seen the long stick attack his human cushion. "Hey, are you ok?" He reached over and gently caressed the boy's head, feeling for any bumps, potential bruises or blood (knock on wood). _

"_I think I felt better that time a dragon caught me off guard and threw me across a lake with its tail…" He groaned before glaring at him. _

_Making Rei's eyes darken and his brows furrow with worry, the half-breed's ears fell. He removed his hand and began to make his way out of the closet, careful not to add to the bluenette's injuries. He decided to let Kai get out himself seeing as he wasn't sure what other part of him was hurt. "I'm really sorry, Kai. I lost my footing and…well, I'm sorry."_

_The hunter gingerly stood up and stepped out of the closet in a sluggish manner. "Yea, I know…" He rubbed his back, which seemed to have taken the most damage since the shoes were on the floor and that's where he had landed. "Shit…like things weren't bad enough already." He muttered._

_Feeling thoroughly guilty, Rei thought quietly before coming up with an idea to cure Kai's ailments. "Hey, I know what'll make you feel better."_

"You know, Kai. You never did explain this whole thing to me."

"What whole thing?" He questioned in a leisurely tone.

"About who that guy is and why you had to shove me in that heaven-forsaken closet in the first place." Rei oh so matter-of-factly reminded him. "Remember? When you put me in there in the first place you said you'd explain it to me later. And as far as I'm concerned, this is later."

"…Now?"

The raven-haired boy was getting a tad irritated at Kai's reluctance to answer. "Yes now. It's not like you're very busy…"

"Mm." Drawing out his response, the hunter shrugged to the best of his abilities. "Well, I'm kind of tired so maybe later--"

"Oh please…tired? You're only getting tired because of me. Should I stop so that you can wake up?" He asked with a whimsical flare.

It didn't seem like such a difficult decision…except that he was really enjoying the warmth and feeling of Rei's hands working his back. 'It wouldn't hurt I suppose. I just need to avoid certain facts.' Resting his head into his arms, Kai muffled his response. "…He was one of my clients. His name's Tala."

"Uh huh."

"He was coming to check on my current assignment. Apparently he doesn't trust me to the point of leaving well enough alone."

"You mean you're supposed to be catching something for him right now?"

Kai tilted his head down and up, supposedly passing it off as a nod. "He wants it as soon as possible, but I told him I'd do my best."

That intrigued the half-breed. 'So, he was looking for something and then I got in the way. I hope that's a good thing.' His massaging had slowed to a trickle of its former pace, the healer absorbed in more important matters at the moment. 'I wonder…what is he searching for?'

"Rei?"

"Hm?" Came his timid reply.

"You're letting up."

"Oh, oops." Resuming his original speed, Rei decided to let it go for now. 'I can think about it later. Besides, if I do that now, he'll just keep interrupting my train of thought.' He coughed to get the hunter's attention. "Well, I'm glad to know all of this, but it still doesn't explain why you shoved me into that hollow piece of wood like a rag."

"…I thought it'd be obvious."

The raven-haired boy chuckled and shrugged. "Pretend that I'm naïve then. And if you make a crack about that your back will have some nice line designs on it…ten of them as a matter of fact…"

"…Spoil my fun." Earning himself a warning prod, Kai continued. "Ok. If I hadn't pushed you into the closet, Tala would have seen you. Do you know what would have came out of that little scenario?"

"Enlighten me." He insisted.

"Hn." It seemed to delight Kai to answer with his simple words. "He would have tried to capture you."

Rei scoffed at him. "Yea right! Like he could…"

"Never underestimate that redhead. I've known him for a long time, he always has one trick up his sleeve, and probably another to back that one up."

"I highly doubt it. I mean, you've been around me for, how long? Days? And you haven't been able to lay a net over me."

Kai tilted his head. "If you haven't noticed, you're not my target. So why would I waste my time trying to catch something that I don't have the need to?" Hearing Rei's 'piff', the hunter pressed on, determined to make his answer sound logical. "If I wanted to get you, I would have done so a long time ago. Believe me, you're an easy catch."

"Excuse me?!" Rei said in mock surprise. "I am _no_ easy catch, Mr. Big-shot hunter!" The boy continued rubbing, though it was a little more pressured at this point. "I can't even begin to tell you how many times I've eluded traps and nets set by hunters who were probably more qualified than you." He announced.

"Hmph. Yes, you certainly amazed me when you _eluded_ that pitfall a day ago, or that one last night during the storm."

"…"

With silence from his verbal sparing partner, Kai went on unrelenting. "And for the record, let it be known that I am the best, and there is no other hunter more qualified than I am."

The half-breed blew out a breath, letting it puff under one of his bangs. "Stop pleasing yourself, Mr. Egotistical."

"Oh, so now I'm egotistical? What happened to big-shot?" The blue-haired boy countered in a teasing manner.

Rei pursed his lips. "…You're both. But it doesn't really matter."

Smirking, Kai questioned him. "And why's that?"

"Because Mr. Egotistical big-shot," The hunter rolled his eyes at his dubbed title. "The fact remains that you haven't been able to catch the creature Tala asked of you, and you haven't been able to catch me."

Kai's head seemed to disappear when his head dropped below his arms. Only his blue grey-colored bangs puffed out. "I told you, I'm not after you, Rei." He articulated in an exasperated tone. 'Not yet anyway…'

While Rei would probably regret asking this later, he put it out there for the sake of keeping up his side of the argument. "And why aren't you?"

"…" Crimson eyes widened at the question. He lifted his head and opened his mouth to respond, though it took a few seconds. "…What?" He finally asked incredulously.

"Why aren't you after me? I mean, you have to admit; I'm quite a find. You'll only find two other half-breeds out there in the Umber Woods, so why haven't you tried to catch me?"

"…" Kai could not believe what he was hearing. The words coming out of Rei's mouth were incomprehensible.

"Or maybe you do want to catch me but you want to keep me all to yourself and _that's_ why you didn't let Tala see me."

"You're crossing thin ice, Rei…" Kai warned in a low tone as he turned onto his back.

The raven-haired boy laughed. It was all a game to him, and in his eyes, he was winning. "So that means I'm correct, right?"

"No, it means," With one forceful push, Kai knocked Rei over, pinning him down to the other end of the couch with his head landing on the opposing armrest with a thud. The room shifted to silence during the change of power, all except for Kai's steady breathing and Rei's ragged one. "The ice has just cracked and you've fallen." He finished with a successful smirk.

"Ow…" After a few seconds of mentally admonishing himself for not seeing that move sooner, Rei thought about making another counter, but figured out something a little more powerful. "Man…my h-head…" Blinking once more and taking a deep breath, he promptly fainted on the spot.

Kai narrowed his gaze. "Don't think that'll work on me, Rei." He lifted one of his hands and poked at the half-breed's shoulder. "Come on, no need to resort to fainting to get out of this little argument. Just admit that you lost already and we can get on with the day."

"…"

The blue-haired hunter sighed. "You just have to play this out, don't you?" Straddling him, Kai ran a hand through his hair and contemplated leaving for the hell of it. 'Well, then he'd just lay here all day, and I can't have that either.' "I'm going to prove you don't have a concussion and then you'll have to get up." Carefully, he lifted Rei's head with one hand and used the other to feel for any bumps, which he highly doubted there were. The armrest was padded for heaven's sake!

"…"

"Drop the act now, Rei. I can't have you lying here all day and you have no head wound." The only movement the younger boy made was his insignificant, his head tilted to the side. "You are really trying my patience-hm?" Noticing that his right hand was close to one of Rei's sensitive ears, he decided to fight fire with fire. "Then again," He began in an indifferent tenor. "If you've fainted, then you've fainted. Can't do anything about that…" Shifting his knees so that they pinned the half-breed's arms, Kai adopted a smirk and began playing with the raven-haired boy's left ear.

The younger boy's lip twitched a little. "Mm…"

'Come on, wake up…I know you can't stand this.' He moved it from side to side, feeling resistance and a natural flick.

"…Em…" The half-breed's brows furrowed, his lips fighting to stay still.

"Good thing you're unconscious, otherwise this would really be killing you…" Kai muttered while suppressing his laugh. He gently rubbed the side, small breaths accidentally brushing over the soft hairs…

Rei's resolve was breaking, the delightfully torturous sensation causing him to break in a matter of seconds. "Mm…hm hm…meep…stop!" He exclaimed suddenly as he shook his head side to side.

Kai feigned a gasp. "Why thank the heavens, you're ok." The crimson-eyed boy declared sardonically. He kept his hand on the boy's ear, not willing to let him off that easily.

"Stop it! I'm awake! S-Stop it!" He broke into fits of laughter, the touches on his ear much too ticklish for him to bear. "K-Kai let go!" He tried for his arms, but they were at the mercy of the hunter's knees, as was he now that he thought about it.

"You mean you're not injured from when I pushed you?" The hunter asked as he continued to attack the boy's ear with his hand.

"You k-know I'm n-not, now stop it!" His body fought against Kai's, his head constantly shaking in hopes of getting free. "Y-You are so going to pay w-when I-I get free…" He choked out, almost out of breath from his laughter.

"Of course I will. I am just going to get it." The dominating youth said sarcastically. 'He certainly is a funny creature. Like a kitten playing with his owner.' The blue-haired boy smirked. 'But he is getting short of breath, wouldn't want him to choke. Guess I should stop now.' Finally relenting on his tickling, Kai placed the boy's head back on the armrest and patted his head in a motherly manner. "There my little kitten, your torture has ended."

If he wasn't gasping for air, Rei would have gotten him about being called a kitten and getting a pat on the head, but it would have to wait. His chest rose and fell rather quickly, his fierce eyes set glaring at Kai's amused mahogany ones. "D-Don't…don't call…me a-a cat…Kai." He managed to say before taking a few more deep breaths.

"Well, I didn't. I called you a little kitten." He mocking corrected, poking the boy's ear again. "And you have a real weakness there, Rei. You should be careful because now I could have you at my mercy whenever I want."

"…Y-You wish…" The half-breed scoffed. Though, there was truth in his words. 'Man, why did my ears have to be so damn sensitive!' They twitched impulsively, making Kai chuckle.

"But they are cute," The blue-haired boy touched one lightly, briefly feeling the soft fur covering it. "I suppose I can leave them alone…for now."

Rei blinked, his breathing getting back to normal…somewhat. "What?" 'Like it wasn't already out of his character to call me that when I woke up. Oh, I get it. He's still teasing me from when I said it last night. That really was foolish of me. It shall be the catalyst to every future 'compliment' he gives me.'

'See, this is why I should have just continued to make him suffer. When he's in my control, he can't respond to what I say and make me regret saying certain things! Why does this happen when he's around me? That's what I need to figure out…somehow…' Kai leaned in closer, catching the pensive, raven-haired boy's attention. "Hey, Rei, do you--"

"Hey Rei!"

"Huh?!" Blinking, the raven-haired boy forgot where he was and quickly lifted his head.

"Ow! Damn it…"

…Effectively colliding with Kai's.

"Ouch!" The hunter sat back, releasing the boy's arms and most of his body. And now that Kai had let up, Rei sprang up and held his forehead gently. "Oh…I'm going to be feeling that for a while…"

Kai got off the couch and rubbed his head. "What did you do that for?!"

Glancing at him, he soon shifted his gaze to the garage door. "Driger. I heard Driger call my name." It suddenly dawned on him. "Oh, that's right!" He jumped off the couch in realization and dashed to the door. Kai, on the other hand, wasn't as quick.

'If that stupid tiger hadn't interrupted, I may have gotten an answer! Shit, now I have a headache…'

"Driger!" Rei swung the door open and the creature leapt out, quickly nuzzling the boy with his head.

"It's about time! What was keeping you? Don't tell me you forgot about me!"

"I'm sorry Drig, but we were preoccupied." Rei said as he rubbed the tiger's fur.

"…We…?" His intimidating glare zeroed in on the hunter who was standing behind Rei. "What do you mean, we?"

Catching his mistake, he tried to cover it. "Uh…not really we! I meant…I was busy! I was busy with Kai! No! Oh…hold on…that's not what I meant either…"

Though he could only understand one part of the conversation, Kai was pretty sure this wasn't going to turn out well. He stepped closer to the boy, about to ask him what was going on, until the tiger caught his movements and pulled Rei away from him.

"Driger, what are you doing?" Rei hissed at the sudden tug.

"That hunter was about to do something…I didn't like the looks of it."

"He was?" Golden eyes met confused mahogany ones. "I doubt it, Driger. Stop worrying, would you?"

"I'll never stop worrying so long as there's a hunter around. Come on, we'd better go."

Driger's command reminded Rei what time it must have been, what day it was…and more importantly, who was coming back today. "Shoot, you're right! Kai, what time is it?!"

Blinking, Kai scoured for a clock. "It's a few minutes past eight." He said upon finding one.

"Really?! When did it get so late! Robert's going to be back any second! Drig, we got to go!" He hurried the tiger along, both making their way to the front entrance.

"Rei, what's happening?!" He raced to the door, getting there in time to unlock it before the tiger ripped it apart.

"In a nutshell--"

"No, not in a nutshell." The raven-haired boy pulled the door open and let Driger go ahead of him. Just as he was about to leave, Kai caught his wrist. "What's going on?"

"…" His gaze shifting from the waiting tiger to his friend, Rei bit his lip. "…Another time, Kai?"

"Why not now?" He asked calmly.

"Because if I don't get back before Robert, I'll never hear the end of it!" He tugged at his wrist. "Later, ok?!"

"When's later? Tomorrow's lesson?"

"Yes…no! No! That's too soon." Kai was really getting baffled from Rei's sentences. It was like he was talking in circles. "Um…"

Driger glanced over his shoulder, vexingly noting that Rei was still at the door. "Rei, we got to go!"

"I know!" He tried getting out of the older boy's grasp again. "I need to go!"

Crimson eyes narrowed. "When is later, Rei? And stop doing that. You'll chew the hell out of your lip."

He stopped, trying to calm himself down. "Later is…it's…later." He finally answered with a light shrug and a lazy smile. "There will be a next time. There's always a next time. After all, I still need to get you back for that little tickle 'accident'…ahem."

Though Kai knew his words were rushed and probably not exactly what he was trying to say, it would suffice. They've gone through enough by now to know that verbal exchanges of this tone were to be trusted. And if Rei was bent on getting back at him, there _would_ be a next time, and it'd be soon. Right now though, the half-breed needed to smooth out some things back home, so he needed to go.

Turning his head to the side, Kai let go of his wrist. "Better hurry then. Looks like Driger is going to explode from anxiety any second."

Grateful for his acceptance, Rei smiled, his ears finally relaxed. "All right. And thanks for letting me stay the night, Kai!" He pivoted on balls of his feet and sprinted to catch up to the frustrated tiger. "See you soon!" He called from over his shoulder as he joined Driger in his sprint. About five seconds later, the two Umber Wood residents had disappeared in the forests' cover, and everything was as it was once again.

Sighing, the hunter ran a hand through his hair and went back into his house. He now had a headache to cure and more questions in need of answers.

**ooo **

"Exactly what were you two talking about back there?" Driger asked as they tore through the forest.

"Nothing…just had to say our goodbyes, is all." The golden-eyed boy occasionally looked over his shoulder, almost certain that they were a hair or two ahead of Robert. …Only a hair or two.

"Goodbyes? Why does it take so long to say that? It's one word." A tree divided them and then they regrouped. "Why do you need to say goodbye to that hunter, anyway?" He wondered suspiciously.

"Because I was leaving. When two people leave, they usually say--"

"I know that! I mean, why to him? In case you've forgotten, he's--"

"My friend. Can we do this later?" He asked with another glance. "I have a feeling Robert's right behind us." Rei murmured cautiously.

"No he isn't! Tell me, now!"

"Well…ah!" Spying the waterfall ahead, Rei thanked the heavens for the break. "Er, one moment!" He dived into the lake and made his way to the other side.

Driger roared. "Rei, that's cheating!" He got in a little less gracefully, clawing past the rocks and surfacing quickly to replenish is oxygen supply. By the time he had gotten out and had shaken his fur of water, he scanned the area. "That boy…" However, it was too late. The lake had been his perfect escape. Rei had already evaded Driger's sight.

**ooo**

'I can't believe I lost Driger so easily. That shortcut I found a few weeks ago is a real time shaver. Hm…I think I'm ahead of Robert by a minute or two now.' As he entered the clearing; the half-breed noticed his tree, it almost radiated sanctuary. 'Guess I have some time for a little break.' Almost happily, Rei cantered to his tree, stopping when he reached the sturdy plant's trunk. There he collapsed and took a breather, his little sprint from Driger had tired him somewhat. Not to mention his mind was still reeling from his last "incident" with Kai. With the aid of another deep breath, he closed his golden eyes; letting them rest as the fairly steady beat of his heart lulled him into a light trance.

'…I wonder what Kai was about to ask me? His eyes were really dark, he was serious about it.'

_Kai leaned in closer, catching the pensive, raven-haired boy's attention. "Hey, Rei, do you--"_

'And what was that little nickname about? He knows full well I'm half tiger.' Rei let one of his fangs poke out. 'It didn't sound like an insult, though. It sounded like he was teasing me, the way that Wolborg does sometimes.

"_Good thing you're unconscious, otherwise this must really be killing you…" Kai muttered out while suppressing his laugh. He gently rubbed the side, small breaths accidentally brushing over the soft hairs…_

_Rei's resolve was breaking, the delightfully torturous sensation causing him to break. "Mm…hm hm…stop!" He exclaimed suddenly as he shook his head side to side. _

"_Why thank the heavens, you're ok." The crimson-eyed boy declared sardonically._

'There's something different about Kai. Seems like he isn't the same person I met at the festival. Or even the same person he was when we had called a truce to our fighting. We still argue, but now it seems more like…

"_Well, I didn't. I called you a little kitten." He mocking corrected, poking the boy's ear again. "And you have a real weakness there, Rei. You should be careful because now I could have you at my mercy whenever I want."_

"…_Y-You wish…" The half-breed scoffed. Though, there was truth in his words. 'Man, why did my ears have to be so damn sensitive!' They twitched impulsively, making Kai chuckle._

"_But they are cute," The blue-haired boy touched one lightly, briefly feeling the soft fur covering it. "I suppose I can leave them alone…for now." _

'Like playing.' Rei opened his eyes, though he wasn't looking at anything in particular. He didn't even notice the blond puff coming towards him. 'It's like we're just having fun with each other, like there was never a time when we actually fought to draw blood from one another.' He let a small laugh escape his lips. 'I can't even see that Kai anymore.' He realized with a smile. 'Was he ever that bad? …Probably not. But when I found out he was a hunter; I panicked and assumed he was like all the rest. I never really gave him a choice but to fight back.' Shaking his head, Rei closed his eyes again. 'He's not like the rest. He's better than them. I shouldn't have judged him so quickly.' A smile then licked his lips. 'But that doesn't mean I can let him get away with tickling my ears. Now, how to get even…'

"Rei!" The raven-haired boy was broken from his thoughts when his little-winged buddy tackled him seemingly out of nowhere.

"Max?!" Though slightly dazed, Rei returned the hug. "Boy, where did you come from, Maxie? I didn't see you." He slowly pulled the blond up so that they were both standing.

"I was coming right at you! I'm surprised you didn't notice me!" He mumbled into his shirt. "We were all really worried about you, Rei! When you didn't come back last night…and then that thunderous storm blew in…mm, I'm just glad you're ok!" He clung to the older youth like he was his only lifeline. Apparently Rei's absence hadn't gone unnoticed.

"Aw, Maxie, the storm! I completely forgot…Mm, I'm sorry I made you worry, _again_. I suppose I have a habit for disappearing without much notice, huh?"

The angel nodded into the crook of his friend's neck, unwilling to let go for fear of Rei vanishing. "Wolborg, Trygle and Draciel were all worried, too. And then I got really concerned when I thought about what'd happen if you didn't show up before Robert returned!" He pulled away slightly, just enough so that he could see the warmth of Rei's eyes. "Where were you, Rei? What happened to you?"

Offering a small smile as repentance, he gently stroked the boy's tufts of hair and nodded. Max, albeit a bit admonishing at times, always forgave Rei, and believed in what he said. He was wary about Kai like the other creatures, but he knew that if the raven-haired boy saw good in him, then he should, too. If anything, Max deserved to hear about everything. If anyone, it had to be the person who was like a little brother to Rei.

Keeping a kind hold on the blond's hand, Rei started to tell his tale. "All right, well, it started after sunset last night." He started.

"What, may I ask started after sunset last night?"

The two younger boys glanced up at the owner of the familiar voice and grinned when they saw who it was. "Robert!" They exclaimed in unison. Both ran up to him, and he welcomed them with his usual pats on the head. While Rei moved the hand to his shoulder with a smirk on his face, Max just beamed. He was still young and didn't mind being greeted with an affectionate ruffle of the hair.

"So, I take it that you two are happy to see me?"

He laughed. "Did you think we wouldn't be, Robert?" Rei asked in a questioning tone.

"Well, since I forbade you to leave this side of the mountain, I figured you would have been a little…bored." He responded.

"You know me, I found a way to keep myself entertained." The younger replied in a light tone.

Max on the other hand was very enthused. "I'm just glad you kept your promise and came back before my birthday! It _is_ tomorrow after all." He conveniently reminded the older boy. (2)

"Yes, I know. How could I forget?"

A rumbling baritone came from behind all three of them. "How could anyone forget after you've been jumping around the place reminding everyone?" After a few seconds Driger made himself known, slowly coming out of the bushes like he was stalking his prey.

Rei tensed for a moment, but quickly calmed himself before Robert could sense it. 'If he was right behind Robert, that means that they must have passed each other at one point. Actually, they were a little slow on getting here. It shouldn't have taken them so long. What if Driger told Robert why he was coming from that direction in the first place?' Rei blinked away his doubt. He feared the older half-breed might be able to catch it radiating of off his body…if that were possible. 'No, Drig wouldn't do that. He…wouldn't…' He rationalized.

Thankfully, Max drew everyone's attention by flying over to the tiger and landing on his back. "Aw, I only mention it because I don't want anyone to forget."

"And he doesn't want anyone to forget because it's a very important birthday. Our little Maxie is turning fifteen." Rei added as he strolled over to the two and patted the blond on the back.

"Be amazed by my age and growing wisdom, everyone!" He announced proudly.

Robert shook his head slightly, a smile still licking his lips. "Yes, yes. We are all quite proud of your growth. But it isn't official until tomorrow evening, so do you think you can contain your excitement until then?"

Sighing, Max lazily plopped his head onto Driger's, earning a warning growl from the beast. Clear disappointment trudged over his once joyous expression. At that, Rei managed a grin. "Jeez Robert, look at what you did to our poor little angel."

"Kmm…" A rumble from the tiger's throat alerted Rei to another sufferer.

"And Max's sadness has influenced Driger's mood as well!"

Robert rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Apparently I'm just the bearer of bad news, hm?" He turned and began walking to his cave. "Hopefully your moods will lift by tomorrow night. I'd hate to have to _drag_ you two to the hills in the Auburn Mountains to see the stars…" He trailed off, knowing it would catch their attention.

Max certainly perked up. "Come on, Robert, don't throw that kind of talk at us!" He sighed. "You take the fun out of everything."

The eldest half-breed took off his rather large jacket and spread his wings. "Just don't complain and we'll go tomorrow. Until then, I expect the both of you to behave, understood?"

"Yes." The younger ones replied simultaneously.

"Good. Now I just need to check in with Grypholyion to make sure you _have_ been good." He only need to flap his wings once before he was airborne, and then he made his way to the den carved into the side of the mountainside.

Making sure he was absolutely out of earshot, Max hopped off of Driger and tugged at Rei's sleeve. "You _did _make sure that you behaved for Grypholyion, right?"

The raven-haired boy shrugged sloppily with an equally messy smile on his face. "More or less…I suppose…I hope" He ended with a light laugh.

"You'd better!" He gave the older boy's arm a yank. "This is my birthday star night and I don't want your selfish needs to ruin it!" The blond commented a bit sarcastically.

"I know, I know. I'm pretty sure everything's been taken care of."

Max cheered. "Great!"

"Ahem."

Dreading the moment that had arrived, Rei let his head slide back a bit before turning to the tiger. "Yes…?"

Slowly walking over to the two half-breeds, Driger lied down in a casual fashion and motioned for them to join him. "I believe you have something you need to finish explaining to me, Rei."

"…I do?" He asked artlessly.

"Yes," He scooted closer to the raven-haired boy, ensuring that escape was futile this time. "I believe you do."

"Well…"

"Oh! That's right, you do, Rei!" Max interrupted. "You have to tell me the story from the beginning. After all, Robert interrupted and you never finished."

Driger coughed a growl. "That'll have to wait, young Max."

Though the angel didn't fully understand, by Driger's tone, he figured it was something against his request. "But I want to know what happened." He argued.

"Another time." Came another low growl.

Feeling an impending headache, Rei decided that he couldn't avoid wither explanation, but he could only handle one at a time. Reaching for his friend's hand, Rei compromised for the sake of his own sanity. "Max, you're right, you do deserve to know. However," He added before catching Driger's glare. "The others need to know, too. So why don't you go get them so that I don't need to say this twice?"

At that suggestion, Max remembered that Wolborg, Trygle and Draciel would like to know about this, so he nodded. "I almost forgot about them. Sure, I'll go get them! I bet they're still sleeping in Draciel's little hideaway." He popped up, and took flight. "Be right back, you guys!" With that, the little angel sped off towards his destination. And since he was gone, that left Rei by himself to answer Driger's impending question.

"Quick thinking, Rei." He offered.

"Yea, I've been getting quite good at that lately." He leaned against the bark of his tree, ready for the onslaught. "All right, you wanted to talk to me?"

Driger sat down across from him. He usually did this when they conversed since the raven-haired boy always wore his heart on his sleeve. "We don't have much time, so I'll get right to it. Rei, I've known you since I was a cub, and if there was one thing I could count on, it was your likes and dislikes. And on the top of the latter list, were hunters." The boy's eyes didn't change. His feelings were mutual. "You despised them. They were lower than the Shinamis that used to fly in and try to take Max away. (3)" Another fact, there was no movement. "And today, you tell me that all that has changed? These past few days, everything you've been doing has contradicted the self-made beliefs you grew up in. …I don't know what to think anymore, Rei. It's like you're a completely different person."

"…" Rei trained his eyes to a spot on the floor not to far from Driger's body, it appeared like he was with the tiger, but he really wasn't.

"I haven't said anything to Robert because you didn't want me to. But Rei, these encounters that you keep having with your hunter, they've got to stop. You're going to get hurt! Why are you going against your life's ideals now?!"

"I've changed." He mumbled.

Driger titled his head. "Excuse me?"

"I'm growing up."

"I never said you weren't." He countered.

"You can't expect me to stay the same my entire life." He lifted his head, truly making eye contact with his lifelong companion.

"I'm not asking you to Rei, I'm asking you to--"

"You're asking me to keep to my original impressions. You're asking me to believe what I believed in when I was five years old!" He stated forcefully. "I believed a lot of things when I was five, and not all of them were right. I thought that everyone was like me, and then I met Max and Robert. I thought that we were the only creatures in the forest, and then I found you. I used to think, that there was no other world besides the one I lived in, my Umber forest…and then, Robert told me about humans. He told me that there was a much larger world beyond the confines on these woods!" He pointed in the exact direction of the town. If he were to follow his direction, he'd end up in the middle of the waterfall, the gateway to Shimpi's side of the forest.

"Rei, you're blowing this way out of proportion. I'm not talking about concepts. We learn new concepts everyday. I'm talking about people. I'm talking about personalities and souls that will always be the same."

"But they _won't_ always be the same! People change, Driger! Humans make changes in their lives, personalities, and souls with each new experience they encounter! Think about it, am I the same as I was even a year ago?"

He shook his head briefly. "You're not the same as you were one week ago! Rei, you're being foolish."

The raven-haired boy narrowed his gaze, his eyes beginning to slit, his ears pulling back. "Foolish? Is it foolish to stay narrow-minded and believe in what someone tells you when you were born?!"

"No, of course not--"

"Then why are you condoning my friendship with Kai??" He questioned. "I've changed my perspectives of hunters through him. He's not as bad as I used to make him out to be!"

"That's just it, Rei!" The tiger stood, his facial features almost matching the boy's. "You're being naïve."

The golden-eyed youth blinked. "Naïve?"

"That's right. I agree people change. Creatures change as well. It's a natural process that can't be helped. However, hunters are a completely different matter entirely."

"You treat them as if they're not even human! Like they're an utterly dissimilar race!"

"When you see how they treat their fellow humans and us then you'd agree, Rei. That's how you used to think. That was the right idea."

"But it isn't right! And even if it was, what gives you the right to think that every hunter is the same?! How could every single hunter fit that description?!"

"Because, hunters aren't born hunters, humans choose to become hunters. And they choose to become hunters because it fits their personality. They want the glory, they hunger for the money, and they desire the power. You can't tell me that your hunter isn't the same. You can't look me straight in the eye and tell me that your hunter never wanted any of that." He challenged in a stormy baritone.

The wind picked up on their tension, flowing past them in a sorry attempt to ease the stress. "You're right, I can't." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath; letting the rise and fall of his chest calm him down. "I haven't known him long enough to commit him to your question, nor can I free him from it." Letting his golden eyes view the world again, Rei met Driger's angered ones. "It's true. Kai probably wanted some of those things _before_, but not now."

"Stop deluding yourself." The tiger insisted.

His tail stood still. "I'm not! He isn't like that now!"

"You don't know that! You cannot get inside of his mind and find the change that you claim to be fact!"

"I can tell from his actions and words! Someone can't be that caring or that fun to be around if they were still living for the money and the power!" Rei growled. His ears weren't erect, his fangs weren't bared, his eyes weren't slit…he wasn't angry; he was determined. He wanted to make Driger understand. '…It doesn't matter. And I'll make him recognize that. It doesn't matter what someone is, it matters who that someone is. Kai may be a hunter, but that's not who he is, that's what he does.' He closed his eyes. 'Funny how it took so long for me to realize that myself. I guess even I am victim to the crimes that I accused Driger of. I hope he can forgive me later.'

Driger slowly shifted back into his normal personality. He let go of his anger and tried to be casual. He sat back down. "Caring? Fun to be around?" He roared a laugh. "If those were truly possible adjectives for that hunter, then let me drop right here and now."

Rei tilted his head. "I don't think I could lift you and drop you without getting pulled down myself." He commented nonchalantly.

"Hm. Rei. Oh young Rei, I envy you."

The raven-haired boy smirked. "Jealous of my good looks? Or of my open-mind?"

"Neither. I'm envious of your ability to take anyone's side at any given moment under any circumstances." The creature lied down. "I can't change your mind. Nor can I save you from the pain you will experience because of your delusions. I just hope that in the end, you will still be in one piece." His tone wasn't sarcastic or sincere, it was somewhere in between, and that's what got to Rei's core.

"Oh yee have little faith."

"I have faith. I believe that once this whole thing blows over, we will be on the same page again. Until then, I'm afraid you'll be chapters behind me."

Rei closed his eyes with a sigh. 'Why? Why do you have to be so closed-minded? Why can't you believe in me? Max believes in me, so does Wolborg…given time and explanation. But you, Drig. You've been my companion since Robert found me, and still…you're the one who won't give me a second glance because I'm breaking the norm. …Driger…what will happen in the end? What will happen when one of us is right, and the other is wrong?'

"He will always be a hunter, you know." At that, the half-breed opened his eyes, though not making eye contact. "Even if you try to break him of the habit, it'll always stay with him."

"…"

Driger grinned. "I will always be a predator to those weaker than I am. Even if I stop hunting, my instincts won't stop working. I will always be sensitive to movements around me, just like you will always be aware of what's going on around you."

"…"

"Your hunter--"

"Kai." Rei stated simply.

"…Kai will never stop his vigilance. Things of value will always catch his eye, and the thought of a bounty behind every item he sees will forever plague his mind."

"…" He shifted his vision, Max and the others were coming.

The tiger got up and moved to the side to avoid the stampede. "Just keep that in mind, Rei. When in the presence of a hunter, of a predator, big brother is _always_ watching."

Rei watched as Driger took a seat a little ways away from where he previously was. His gaze was no longer set on Rei, but on the stretching distance. And in his place, Max, Wolborg, Trygle, and a leisurely Draciel arrived.

"All right Rei, everyone's here, now you can--"

"Rei!!" Trygle burst the blond's bubble and came deep into the golden-eyed boy's personal space. "How could you go and scare me like that!? Did you know that when that hunter took you I was scared out of my gourd?! And that was before I thought about what Driger and Wolborg would do to meee-eeh!!"

"Err…" Rei watched curiously as Wolborg stepped forward and practically head butted the eagle out of his way and into a nearby bush.

The wolf approached him slowly. "Rei." He waited patiently for the boy to respond, and he so did with a hug. "We were very worried about you, young one. When that turkey told us what his idiocy had gotten you into, well, I very well feared for your life." As soon as the half-breed pulled away, the ice wolf nudged the boy's head with his nose. "You stayed in that house with him all night and a little into the morning. Did that hunter harm you?"

"Kai?" He firmly shook his head. "No. He took care of me."

Giving him a good long stare, Wolborg accepted his answer and gave him another nudge. "Very well, then you may tell us your story. I'm sure young Max is dying to hear of your venture." He lied down next to Rei, with the blond jumping lightly onto his back and burying his head into Wolborg's tufts of fur.

"Yea, let's hear it, Rei!" He exclaimed in a jubilant tone.

"Better make it quick before Max gets a little too hyper." Draciel suggested as he finally approached the group.

"All right." He sat down with them, the sense of a campfire gathering surrounding them all. But, before he began, the raven-haired boy turned his head and called for the missing member. "Hey, Trygle! Don't you want to hear this?"

"Hmph! Of course I do!" He slowly padded over, 'accidentally' bumping into Wolborg's side as he settled down. "Mm, you may begin."

Suppressing a laugh, Rei nodded and started from the beginning." Ok, so it started after sunset last night…"

**ooo**

Slowly but surely, the hours of the morning slid into the hours of the afternoon, and the mansion that had witnessed so much excitement and peculiar predicaments was now at ease. It's owner, who was currently reorganizing the forgotten closet, had hardly felt the times slip by. It could have been thanks to the two Aspirin he took almost immediately after Rei had left, or the lunch he had made himself to settle his stomach. It could have been the stingingly crisp, cold air that brushed against his face when he went into town to make sure no one had seen the half-breed come or leave his house, or the small task of realigning his furniture when he got back. Or maybe it was just from Tyson's constant talking…perhaps it blocked out all other senses in the hunter's mind. Though, that probably wasn't it. Only plaguing questions and surprisingly smile-causing thoughts of Rei filled the blue-haired boy's head, so that was most likely the reason as to why time seemed to stand still for him.

"I leave you alone for one night and the place is turned upside down. Really Kai, I thought you were the responsible one." Tyson said in an authoritative tone, though he figured his roommate wasn't really listening.

Kai put the umbrella back on its hook before clapping the dust off of his hands and closing the closet door. He had just finished reorganizing its contents and now his mind was at ease. Well, more so than it was before.

"Hey Kai, how did the closet get messed up in the first place?"

The blue-haired boy shrugged, not in the mood to tell the truth. "It decided to give me a headache, so it cluttered itself."

Tyson rolled his eyes and slumped back into the couch. "I see…of course." He replied sarcastically.

Just as Kai began to climb the staircase, he turned his head back to his roommate. "Just be glad I fixed it for you, ok?" Then he ascended the remaining steps, looking forward to a little rest before considering his remaining problems.

Tyson had come home about two hours ago after having an early lunch at Kenny's house. He said that Dizzi was annoying him, but the hunter figured Emily came home and kicked him out. Kai had to hand it to her; she could be quite forceful when she wanted to be.

"…Master Kai?"

Looking up upon his arrival, Kai managed a smile for his faithful phoenix. She flew straight to his arm after he closed his door, greeting him with a nuzzle and a light nip on his ear.

"I'm sorry I've been neglectful of you, Dranzer. When Rei came, things just got…busy."

True, they still couldn't understand each other completely, but it did seem easier to get some things across. He sat down on his bed and motioned for her to sit on the covers as he let himself fall back.

'He must be thinking about a lot of things. Hardly a day goes by now when he doesn't do this.' She hopped onto his stomach and made herself comfortable, hoping her warmth would soothe him. She laid her head on his chest and chirped. In response, he brought up one of his gloved hands and absentmindedly stroked her downing.

"Thanks, Dranz." He mumbled, his voice not quite there. He was so focused on what had happened in the morning that he couldn't keep his voice level. Then again, his mind wasn't fairing any better. 'He actually asked me why I didn't want to catch him…' His other hand went to his forehead. 'I can't believe it.'

_Kai's head seemed to disappear when his head dropped below his arms. Only his blue grey-colored bangs puffed out. "I told you, I'm not after you, Rei." He articulated in an exasperated tone._

_While Rei would probably regret asking this later, he put it out there for the sake of keeping up his side of the argument. "And why aren't you?"_

"…" _Crimson eyes widened at the question. He lifted his head and opened his mouth to respond, though it took a few seconds. "…What?" He finally asked incredulously. _

"_Why aren't you after me? I mean, you have to admit; I'm quite a find. You'll only find two other half-breeds out there in the Umber Woods, so why haven't you tried to catch me?"_

'Does he want to be caught?! Why would he ask that?! What kind of reasoning was going on inside of his head?!'

"_Or maybe you do want to catch me but you want to keep me all to yourself and that's why you didn't let Tala see me." _

Kai smirked. 'If only that was it.' He rubbed the bridge of his nose. 'It was just to keep up the argument. I swear, if it involved him saying that he'd kill himself just to best me, he'd say it.' The blue-haired boy could feel Dranzer's weight on his stomach as he exhaled, her melodic cheeps resounding in the corridors of his mind.

'I wonder if he's beginning to catch on to me or not. He's not that naïve. If he thinks about it, he'll realize that I'd be a fool to pass up the chance at catching a half-breed. And if he remembers what Tala said when I was pushing him out…'

"…" _Taking one last glance around the house, Tala finally sighed. "I don't know." He shrugged. "I suppose even if you _did_ have something going on around here, it's none of my business unless it concerns that half-breed you owe me." _

"Damn it." He turned onto his back, alerting the half-awake Dranzer and causing her to fly up before getting flattened. "Ugn…" The hunter settled there, and so the phoenix softly landed on the small of his back.

'Something tells me, this isn't going to turn out very well…' He closed his eyes, Dranzer's light hopping prior to her settling down reminding him about Rei's massage earlier. '…Stupid half-breed.' He groaned and tilted his head up to check the time. It was two twenty-five. He'd allow himself ten minutes, and then he'd have to start planning his new approach to this situation.

All the while, the mythical creature kept her eyes trained on the boy, watching as the fight in his mind continued. 'He must be thinking about Rei-neko and Tala. Mm…what will you do, master Kai? What kind of decision will you make?' She silently wondered. Though she couldn't help directly, she closed her eyes and continued her light chirps, praying that they'd calm him enough to the point of a light relaxation.

**ooo **

SLAM

"Ou…" Bryan faked a wince as his roommate took his annoyance out on the entrance door.

SLAM

"Opening the door and then closing it again. That translates to… 'I am _not_ in a good mood.' Doesn't it?"

"You're terribly observant, Bryan," He drawled out as he sank into his chair. "The boss…is going to kill me."

"Kill?" He echoed.

The redhead ran a hand through his hair and clarified. "Kill, murder, slaughter…" He groaned. "Hiwatari can pester you from now on because once the boss finds out I will be buried five feet eleven inches under!"

Bryan whistled. "Thank goodness for that one inch, eh?"

Sighing, his companion slumped further into his seat. "I am damn serious! If Kai doesn't get his act together and get that creature for us, _we_ will be--"

"I know…we might be in for a bit of experimenting ourselves." He interrupted in the most somber tone he could muster. Standing up from his seat on the divan, he stood behind Tala's chair and leaned against it. It was their moment of silent contemplation. A time to think of what would happen if the useful would become the used.

"…If he doesn't come through, we'll have to intervene. Especially since that other one we hired flunked out."

"…"

"Right, Bryan?"

"…"

Tilting his head up, Tala stared at him. "Hey, are you listening to me?"

"Oh, yea…sorry. I was just thinking," Pausing to pull at the redhead's two long bangs for snickering at his comment, he moved on. "Maybe, it wouldn't be so bad to be part of those experiments."

The blue-eyed boy gawped at him. "…?! What? Why the hell would you want your DNA messed with? I mean," He shrugged. "Other than for the chance to get some better traits, I could understand—ow!" Tala stood up after getting poked at. "Stop doing that! Let me remind you that I'm in a higher position than you are."

"Exactly why I'd like to be part of the experiments. I'd love to participate and assist our boss as he cuts and pastes your body with some random animal parts."

"Oh really?"

He nodded with a satisfying grin on his face. "It'd be an enlightening experience."

Tala began to walk into the next room, repeating the lilac-haired boy's answer in mock imitation. "Come off it. I know the only reason is because you want to see my body. Don't try to deny it." He said in a mock-alluring tone.

As he walked away, Bryan grabbed his own throat and pretended to choke, faking a collapse with his partner's laughter filling the house.

(1) Buta: I just needed a word to name an imaginary creature that eats a lot. Thank Tym for his unusual imagination…  
(2) I don't know when Max's birthday is (must check some very informative BB site), it's just a day in my story.  
(3) Shinamis: Another imaginary creature born from Tym's head. They are wingless birds that have the ability to jump high and far. They are deviously envious of creatures with wings.

SS – Not so good this time around…maybe the gap between the chapters was just too much for me to handle. Well, let's see what the 'morrow will bring. I thought I'd get to the experiments this time 'round but it'll have to wait until the beginning of the next! I didn't want to make it too long (heh, yea) and I wanted to add in that bit about Tala and Bryan before I closed up. I've been quite neglectful about them, haven't I? Think what you will, I'm leaving it open.

--Gramer or/and speilling mistackes? ;D Tell me something I don't know. Please excuse them. And thanks for pointing them out anyway (Yes, those were deliberate). Oh, and yes, I noticed how often I used some words. Erg…eighth-grade flashback… _:grabs thesaurus:_ I shall get right on it.

--Brief replies now as I want to get this submitted soon:

**Syaoran-Lover**: Thank you! Yes, you've been turned into a cocktail umbrella, but hey, now you can be a stocking stuffer! 3 No, you weren't wrong, Tala did ask Kai to get something for him. But, Tala's boss originally asked _him_ to get it. So, our little redhead is basically…lazy. _:shrug:_ Aren't we all… And you can be the judge of how close they are. It's not set in stone; make of it what you will. If you them to be buddies, by all means, be my guest. )

**Porticulis**: Guess this would be…after months of waiting? _:laughing nervously:_ Yea, so that new turn in the story shows…I figured you'd catch it. _:erg:_ It'll be rough shifting gears even slightly, but I'm doing my best to keep it smooth. …I don't think I've reached the point where I can ever make an angst situation truly dark. Truthfully, I may never have the capacity for it. _:shrug:_ My friends consider me a very…happy person. And that just reflects in my work one hundred and ten percent. But that leaves a story to be told in a different light. And I hope you enjoy the ride. Thanks again.

--Thank you for your reviews! They make lovely stocking stuffers 3

**ShichinintaiGuardian**, Ilex-Aquifolium, **Dark Reiko**, devilburns, **angelgirl10**, Jen-beyblade-fan, **Kiri-chan the neko girl**, Chibinekosakura, **Raku Ozzariam princess**, Galy, **Pickle-kitten**, Neko Phoenix Girl, **Angel Spirit**, Cross Hunt-s, **Shadow Tigress aka Kit**, Kitty, and **T.k-Kon**.

Er, bolds were just inserted to make separation and reading easier.  
Man, this QuickEdit keeps changing...I hope I got the hang of it.

Anyway, _:hugs:_ this wraps up chapter the thirteenth (man this story is getting long…)! Many thank yous for putting up with my incredibly awkward updating time and for reading! Until next time! Ashes.


	15. Discovery

SS – Erp…something went wrong with my document so I had to reload it and then I couldn't log in. Anyway, it's up now, so everything's fine. Though I do need to check the disks I'm using…  
Tym – Not my fault you don't simply type it up in the downstairs computer… weird…

_Loving Legends  
_Chapter 14 – Discovery  
Disclaimer: Please see the prologue.  
**Note**: Passages near the end, which are _italicized_, are brief flashbacks.

The day passed in a leisurely manner, almost in time with Rei's story. When his ending came, so did the day. The sun gave way to its counterpart and the creatures departed for their respective shelters. The raven-haired boy discretely noticed that Wolborg had urged Driger off with him, though, which left him a little curious.

'Wonder what they're up to…'

A hand acquainted his shoulder and ended his wonder. "Hey Rei, do you mind if we spend the night with Robert?"

Waving away his thoughts about his two guardians, Rei turned to meet his young friend's gaze. "Both of us?" A nod followed. "Sure, I don't mind. But why?"

Max shrugged. "I'd feel better if all of us were together…especially since we were all _apart_ recently…" He finished with a slightly depressing tone.

"…Max…" After all that he had taught the blond, this was the one thing that was nearly perfected: the art of guilting others in to get what he wanted. Letting a smile play on his lips, Rei threw his cares out the window and held out his arm.

Everything shifted, and the angel grinned. "Great! Let's go!" Grabbing the older boy's wrist, he barely lifted himself off of the ground and sped off towards the cave, trusting Rei to be able to keep up with his fast feet.

"Why do I have a feeling that this has to do with your upcoming, you know what?"

"Maybe a little!"

By the time they reached the mouth of the cave, Rei's wrist was most definitely in need of some attention, but he suppressed it. The sight of Max bouncing around Grypholyion was more than enough to ease him. It looked like Robert didn't mind them staying the night, however, that was just his guess as he watched him grab hold of Max's hand and lead him away from the wary griffin. He walked towards them, ready to join in the fun. This was nice. For once he wasn't worried about anything else. It was the way things were before he got involved with Kai, and the town in general. Still, the hunter lingered in his mind, waiting to be dealt with later.  
**ooo  
**"All right, that's far enough." Driger rounded a tree and faced the wolf that had ushered him all the way over to the far side of the summit. "Mind telling me what this is all about, now?"

There was a laugh. "It's so painfully obvious it bears no repeating." Wolborg commented lightly.

"Well, then I'm not sticking around for it." He began walking away. "I have much too much on my mind now to deal with your head games."

As old as he was, the creature of ice glided in front of the irritated tiger, halting his escape. "If you answer me, I will help you understand Rei." He graciously offered.

Driger eyed him suspiciously. "Were you listening in on us or something?"

"No, but you only get frustrated by him. And that happens because you're too young to understand what he's thinking." He clearly stated before taking a seat.

The opposition sat as well. It seemed like they were staying here. "Like you can handle him and his silly logic any better." He turned away. "You're too old to understand."

"I have experience. And I know that, despite your words, he'll continue his friendship with that hunter because…" He paused to reconsider his initial statement. "Hmph, well, what do _I_ know." He shrugged. "I'm just an old-timer anyway." He concluded smugly.

"Rrr…" Gritting his teeth, Driger resumed eye contact with the wolf. "What do you want to know?"

Wolborg grinned in his triumph. "The experiments."

"Those again!" He drawled out in an exasperated manner. "If you're so old and experienced, you should know…"

"Just tell me what you know."

Sighing, Driger recounted his memories. "All right. Let's see…I already told you that Max and Rei were found on the night of the explosion. Um…Robert brought them to the cave, humans in the town were practically blind to the explosion and went on with life…and…" He lingered, scrunched his nose in thought, and then gave Wolborg a sloppy smile. "And that's it."

"…That's it…?" His muzzle twitched. "What do you mean, _that's it_!"

"Well how in-depth do you want me to go!"

"You were leading me on before, cub." The ice wolf slurred out in a low voice. "You were insinuating that somehow, our Rei and Max, and Robert were brought to us because of that explosion and I intend to find out why."

Driger was astounded. "You think I would know! I was barely a cub when that happened! How do you expect me to know anything about it?"

Wolborg dug his claws into the earth, retaining his calm. "Then may I ask why you implied that you knew something earlier?"

The tiger shrugged. "For fun?" He answered simply.

"You…" Getting on all fours, the elder brushed past him roughly, heading for his home. "Obstinate cub…" He muttered heatedly.

Hiding a playful smirk, Driger remembered the wolf's proposition and called out to him. "Hey wait! You said you'd help me with Rei!"

Wolborg stopped. "Considering that you were just 'messing around' I see no reason why I should help you."

He pressed forward. "But it concerns Rei! Come on you old-timer, there must be _something_ you can do."

"You really need a lesson or two in tact, you know?" He mentioned with a slight turn of his head.

"Tact?" He echoed curiously. "Like tic-tac-toe?"

"…" Wolborg closed his eyes and shook his head. "My advice to you maybe too complicated for your comprehension; so, I suggest just trying to listen to Rei." He continued on his way. "Or if that's too much, just observe him. He's a very expressive youth. Watching his body movements can give away all of his thoughts if he's not on his guard." There was a rustle of leaves, a vanishing breeze, and then the wolf was gone.

Driger furrowed his brows. "Watching him when he's not on his guard…" He tilted his head. "He wants me to spy on him!" His tail thumped the ground rhythmically. "I don't know…we'll see…"  
**ooo  
**The next day, Driger took Wolborg's words to heart. There were a lot of times in the past when Rei would bypass him and go to the wolf for advice, so maybe he did know the half-breed better when it came to issues like these. In any case, there wasn't anything else that he could do. Rei made a good effort to avoid the tiger that morning and afternoon, and hid this action by spending time with Max.

'Like they won't spend enough time together later when Robert takes them to the Auburn Mountains.' He thought as he pursued the raven-haired boy.

It was a good opportunity to test out Wolborg's words. He had just left the cheery blond with Draciel, so he was alone and hopefully, 'not on his guard'. Rei was aimlessly walking to the summit, a smile on his face. Driger followed.

'What am I supposed to figure from this?'

When the path opened and revealed the grassy area, Rei made his way to the lake and jumped some of the taller rocks. He situated himself on the highest and peered into the clear depths.

Driger blinked. 'This is pointless…' He laid down. 'I bet Wolborg was just getting me back for the experiment thing. But it's not like I could really tell him. I mean, how was I supposed to explain it? The collecting of Umber Wood creatures, mixing DNA, tearing into those humans…my real connection with Rei…'

Said boy leaned back against the boulder's somewhat smooth surface and closed his eyes. He basked in the sun's glow with a relaxed expression.

'Hmph, like that connection is helping me now…' He began running his claws through the dirt. "Stupid wolf…he couldn't give advice to a fish out of water…"

"Well, it's not my fault the fish doesn't know how to properly use my advice."

"!" Driger would have jumped with a noise, but that would give away his position. He settled for a deadly glare and a pounding heartbeat. "Wolborg!" He hissed. The ice wolf let a smile play on his lips, a low rumble of a laugh escaping from his throat. "Yea, yea…laugh it up. Now if you can ease yourself for a moment, mind explaining your comment?"

"My pleasure. You see, when I said observe Rei, I didn't mean to stalk him. What do you expect him to show when he's by himself?" He smirked. "I meant to observe him when he's around someone else. He's much to guarded when he's alone. But when he's talking to someone, he feels more relaxed and will let more emotions show. Especially if he's with someone he trusts."

Driger continued to glower at the elder. "Why didn't you tell me that yesterday! I've been following around him all morning!"

Wolborg shrugged. "It's not my fault you misinterpreted me." He was clearly giving the tiger a taste of his own medicine.

"Fine." His gaze lessened. "So, are you going to talk to him and let me 'observe'?"

"Afraid not." He said. "The answers that you are looking for will require Rei to be with a certain someone, and it isn't me."

"Oh great. Who is it then, Max?"

"No." He replied with a grin. It was obvious to anyone that he was enjoying this. "Think for a moment, if you can. You are trying to understand why Rei is being stubborn about this situation with his hunter, right? So that means that you need him to be around…"

"_Me_?" He groaned. "But Rei won't come near me. I know that he's deliberately trying to avoid me…"

Wolborg was thoroughly amused. "No. And though I wish that I could stay and watch you continue to berate yourself over this, I need to go." The wolf got up and began walking to the lake. "However, to ensure that you don't go and 'misinterpret' my words again, I will give you a hint. This someone is human, he seems quite trustworthy to Rei, and he is of a profession that you do not approve of." He concluded with a laugh, his barks low enough to only strike Driger's ears.

'…Hmph, like I wouldn't have been able to guess that one a mile away…' The tiger rested his head on his paws and closed his eyes. 'I can't believe I have to watch as Rei interacts with that hunter. It'll be a miracle if I can make it without jumping out and tearing him to shreds. I'll have to work on that…'

**ooo**

Rei opened one eye slightly and tilted his head, doing his best not to give away his consciousness. 'Hm, Driger is still there. I wonder why he's been following me around all day.' Closing his eye again, he breathed in the lightly scented mountain air and let the sun continue to wash him with warmth.

'After our little chat yesterday, I thought he'd want to stay away from me for a while, but he's not. And what was Wolborg saying to him? If it wasn't for that waterfall I might have been able to hear them.' With the gentle breeze, flecks of water from said waterfall occasionally made Rei wrinkle his nose.

'As if I didn't have enough on my mind. Well, chances are that I won't have much time to think tonight. Max will be bouncing around and dragging me with him…the only thing I'll be concerned about is whether or not my arm will fall off.' He smiled. 'After the night's over, then what will happen? I'll have to face Driger again. I'll need to talk to Kai…and get my revenge for that _incident_.' An impulsive chuckle tickled his throat. He stretched his arms and got comfortable. 'And then…' He yawned. 'And then…' His mind shut down. The sun's rays were too comforting, the wind was too soft, and he was too tired. Rei fell asleep, the warming rock bed suddenly becoming to good to pass up.

**ooo**

"Robert, can I open my eyes yet!"

"No, not yet. And Rei, you can't either."

"Hey, it's not _my_ birthday. Why can't I look?"

"You have to set an example for Max. And don't worry, we're almost there." Robert looked ahead, making sure that there was a safe spot for them to land.

"I can see a fine area off to the side, Robert. We'll be there soon." Grypholyion said. He beat his wings gently every now and then, his great wingspan and strength requiring only a few flaps.

"Excellent job. I doubt Max could stay still for that much longer anyway." He turned his head to check on the two younger half-breeds. He had left the birthday boy in Rei's hands as he directed Grypholyion. The raven-haired boy was doing fine. He held Max down in a hug, careful to keep their feet away from the griffin's wing joints.

"Give me a little more credit, Robert! I'm one year older and one year maturer."

"Uh…I don't think that's a word, Max." Rei commented with a laugh.

"…Well I say it is since it's what I am!" He defended.

"Fine. Just keep your maturity for when we reach the spot."

"I'm not sure if this is good news or not, Robert, but we're here." Grypholyion commented teasingly as he soared to the middle of the open meadow, slowing his pace with each beat of his wings. He reached for the ground with his hooved-hind legs, letting them touch the ground before his front claws descended and he strode around in a steady kind of trot.

"I'm going to consider it a good thing, thank you, Grypholyion." Once they had stopped completely, he jumped off the creature's back, landing with a soft thud. The area was quite dark, but thankfully he could see. Looking up into the sky, he noticed that there was a group of suspicious clouds concealing the normally sparkling stars from their view. He would have been worried, if there wasn't a strong wind coming.

"Brr…hey Rei, this gust w-will pass soon, right?" For the first time since he had gotten on Grypholyion, he was glad that the older boy was holding him. He blocked most of the wind.

"Yea, it'll pass, and then we can open our eyes and see the stars." He tightened his hold and called out: "Right, Robert?"

"Yes, just one moment…" A strong gale shuddered past the group, effectively pushing the ominous clouds back. One by one, the stars made their appearance, adding their glow of light to one another until the meadow floor was actually visible.

"Irritating breeze." Grypholyion huffed. He kneeled down, shielding his legs from the wind as it puffed its last breath. With a rustle from the blades of grass, the area began to calm down and a comforting silence reigned.

Robert turned and jogged back to the boys. "Here, Rei, give me your hand." He helped them both down and led them out to the middle. "Rei, you can open your eyes first."

"Aww, Robert!"

"Patience, Max."

Laughing, the raven-haired boy quickly blinked his eyes open. "Oh man." He breathed, a smile furiously tugging at his lips, the radiance in his golden eyes almost outshining the stars. "I almost forgot what it was like. The stars are so close, it's almost as if I could touch them if I jumped high enough."

"It _has_ been a while. Not since the last celebration have we had the chance to come up here." Robert stood behind them. "There hasn't been enough time. Work at the university is quite taxing."

Rei nodded. "We know that; and we don't blame you, Robert. But we are glad that you managed to bring us up here."

"Ahem…" A rough, cough-like sound resounded.

"With Grypholyion's help." He added sheepishly.

"Thank you. Honestly, a little respect isn't too much to ask for." He demanded as he rested his head on his claws.

"Um…guys! Robert! Rei! Can _I_ open my eyes, yet!" The blond pleaded.

The eldest looked over to him. "Oh, I'm sorry, Max. Yes, you may open your eyes now."

"It's about time!" Fluttering his eyes, Max finally got to have a look around. "Wow!" He ran out a little, his arms outstretched and wings following in suit. "It's so dark and bright!"

"Yea, a'course that's possible." Rei joked as he ran out to him.

"Oh, you know what I mean! It's so dark here…" He circled around. "But that only makes the stars brighter in comparison!" He looked up. "They never look like this back home."

Rei plopped down onto the meadow floor. "That's because the elevation is much lower. Not to mention the tall trees and wary clouds block a lot of light." He stared up as well. "But out here, we're the only things blocking the radiance." He smirked. "Everyone else will just have to deal with it if we're in the way."

Max scoffed at that lightly. "That's so mean! But right now, I don't care." Extending his wings, the blond flapped once or twice, and ascended into the sky, letting his feathers lift him higher and higher. "It's just us out here! We'll enjoy it! You, me, and Robert!"

Rei corrected him. "And what about Grypholyion? Or do you think Robert flew us up here all by himself?" He teased.

"He's sleeping! So it's just the three of us! Remember, like before?"

"…Before?" He echoed curiously.

Giggling at the fact that he held something over Rei, Max landed next to him with a soft thump. "Yea! A long time ago, when there weren't any creatures or woods…it was just you, me, and Robert, together!"

Rei raised a brow and ruffled the boy's hair affectionately. "Max, when Robert found us, he already knew Grypholyion, so it was never just the three of us."

"Oh?" He pouted and thought about it. "But wasn't there a time…long ago, when it was just us?"

The raven-haired boy shook his head and closed his eyes. "Afraid not, buddy. I hope you're not losing it on your birthday."

"No, I'm not!" He laughed. "Well, then I guess it was something from a dream…" He smiled mysteriously.

Opening his eyes and giving Max a nod, Rei gazed at the stars again. "You'll have good dreams tonight, Maxie. Nights like these don't come around often. So I hope you enjoy it."

"I will…I am."

Robert came up and sat near them, watching as the blond bolted up again and took to the sky, bringing Rei with him. Or at least, attempting to. Rei was putting up a good fight. 'There aren't many evenings like these.' He watched his boys. 'Happy birthday, Max.'

**ooo**

'Hm, that's odd.' Kai walked out to his terrace and stared up into the sky. A moment ago, there was a violent wind, which had beat heavily against his sliding door. It passed quickly, but didn't bring any rain or clouds with it. Actually, from his view, he noticed that it only pushed a small group of charcoal-colored clouds away from a distant mountain.

'Weird.'

"Master Kai?" Dranzer brushed past the sliding door and landed on the boy's shoulder. "What was that?"

'Probably nothing…' He guessed. "It was nothing." He confirmed while patting the phoenix's talons. He led them both inside and checked the time. It was a quarter past nine. Sitting himself down on the bed, he picked up his pad of paper and pen. Before he was interrupted, the hunter had been trying to devise another way out of this 'situation' as he now called it. For the past day and a half, that's all he had been doing, creating plausible ideas (well, that and practicing with Dranzer. Even without Rei, they were getting along fine). He wasn't sure what he wanted in the end, but he knew there were two objectives that were plaguing his mind.

The first was to make sure Rei did not get caught. That one was easy. He had ten workable solutions and counting. However, it had a few conditions. Like figuring out this nagging feeling he had concerning Rei, and what he thinks about him (though he wasn't sure why that mattered). The other objective was to get Tala what he wanted. It…wasn't as easy. So far, Kai had four solutions. Although it was his original goal, he just wasn't so sure about it anymore. Not only would he not be able to see Rei again (apparently that matters), but also it would be disastrous if the half-breed were to catch on to the plan and try to escape.

So, that's where Kai was. Since Rei hadn't made any contact with him since yesterday morning, it was a good chance to think about it. OR (objective Rei) didn't have any time constraints, but OT (objective Tala) did. If he decided to go with that one, he'd have to do it fast, lest the redhead wouldn't compensate him. But the problem was, Kai didn't know which to go with, or what he really wanted in the end of it all. (1)

"Damn." He scratched out another idea for OT and continued working on the other side of the paper. "No, that wouldn't work, Rei would see right through it." He crossed it out and started again.

"Maybe you should take a break, Master Kai." The phoenix hopped off of the boy's shoulder and attempted to tug the notepad out of his grip.

"In a minute, Dranz. I think I have something." She watched on as he scribbled some words down. Shaking her head, she grabbed the pen with her talon and ripped it away. "Dranzer!" He stood abruptly and chased her outside onto the balcony. Naturally, she was just beyond his reach, and he was left against the railing. "Dranzer, give that back!"

"You need to stop. Take a break."

He sighed. "You do know that I could get another pen, right?" She titled her head. 'Hm, maybe she doesn't understand all of those words.' Turning around, he went back inside, pulled the drawer of his nightstand, and found a sharpened pencil. "There."

"Master Kai, that's not fair!" With her other talon, she reached and snatched the pencil away as well. He faced her with a glare.

"Dranzer, stop it!"

"Rest! You've been doing this all day!"

"Yes, because it's important." He fell onto his bed. "It's the only way for me to order my thoughts." He closed his eyes and ran an ungloved hand through his hair.

Careful to keep the writing instruments out of his sight, Dranzer landed near him. "And has it been working, Master Kai?"

He took a deep breath in and let it out very slowly. "…No." He admitted as he opened his eyes. His crimson orbs were tired and frustrated. "But I do have ten plans that would piss Tala off. So the day wasn't fruitless."

Most of that didn't register with her, so she overlooked it. "Perhaps you should talk to someone about this 'situation'."

"Like who? Tyson?" He laughed. "I doubt it."

"No, not Tyson. I fear he wouldn't be able to…fully comprehend the importance of it. Actually, I was thinking of…" She turned to something.

Without a full response from his phoenix, Kai grudgingly sat up. "Thinking of who?" He followed her gaze across the room until his eyes settled on the cleaned set of clothes that he had lent Rei that night. "…Rei!"

"Perhaps?" She added in a suggestive tone.

He looked at her incredulously. "You do know who one of the objectives is about, right?"

"Oh, Master Kai, you don't need to tell him forward. I'm sure he would understand if you said that it was about someone else that he doesn't know."

The blue-haired boy shook his head, but gazed at her thankfully. "I'll think of something." Standing up, he arched his back a little and walked around to the other side of the bed. "Though, you do bring up a good point."

"And what is it?" She questioned.

"When he left, Rei said that he'd be back soon. It's hasn't been too long, though, I assumed he would have contacted me by now."

"Maybe I should go and find him." She flew over to him. "I can ask him for you, since it's late. Besides, it isn't that suspicious to see a phoenix go over there at this hour."

"I suppose that's our only option. Ok. Try not to take too long." Kai walked her to the sliding door. "And don't get distracted by that eagle." He reminded in a protective manner.

She chirped. "I won't. Honestly, Master Kai, I'm not a fledgling." With an affectionate nip to his ear, she slipped past the door again and took to the night sky. Her flight towards the other side of the Umber Woods was fast and direct; growing up with Kai as her teacher, she knew not to waste time dawdling. 'I hope I don't run into Trygle. His interruptions are never short.' She thought with a sigh.

**ooo**

Thankfully, it didn't take too long for Dranzer to reach Rei's side of the mountain. She flew in cautiously, watching for the creatures that were friends with the half-breeds. Though, curiously enough, she didn't see any of them. Her first thought was that they were sleeping, but it wasn't that late. Flying towards the tree that Rei was around most often, Dranzer continued her search.

'Where are they?' She wondered. The phoenix flew around a few more times, but there wasn't a sign of them, not even the angel, who usually bolted around the place.

Taking a small break, she landed on the branch of Rei's self-proclaimed tree and huffed. 'This is getting peculiar. Where could they be?' She turned around and scanned the area. 'They wouldn't just leave. There must be an answer. But I don't see that tiger or griffin that are usually around either. Even Trygle has made himself scarce. What's going on?'

She hopped from the branch and took one more look around. Still, no one could be found. She thought about calling out for one of them, probably Trygle, but figured not to. It wouldn't be the best idea. 'I'll just have to go back and tell Master Kai. Maybe he will know what's going on.' Relenting on her quest, she turned and headed back home. 'Either that or he will come down himself and look for Rei.' She thought with a bit of amusement.

**ooo **

It's hard to believe that the three half-breeds could find something to occupy themselves for three hours, but they did. Well, Max did. After the food was gone, and most of the games were played, the blond still had energy to spare and was circling the area with rapid strokes of his wings. Robert had retired to Grypholyion's side. They appeared to be sleeping, but actually they were keeping an eye on the two young boys and conversing quietly. Rei sat on the edge of the meadow, which was also the side of the mountain. His feet were dangling over the edge, but since he was leaning back on his arms, he wasn't afraid of falling. …Though it was quite a long drop.

'Man, I can even see the town from here. Well, that was kind of obvious since this is a pretty tall mountain.' He teased himself. 'I didn't think some of the lights would still be on, though. It's pretty late.' Squinting, he looked at the higher part of town and noticed a pair of lights was on in a large house. 'Maybe that is Kai's house.' He mused cheerfully. 'He's probably up thinking about strategies to catch…whatever Tala asked of him. Hm…I never did ask what it was…'

"Incoming!"

Rei turned quickly. "Wha-oof!" However, it wasn't enough to avoid Max's tackle. It forced them both back, tumbling over the meadow's blades of grass ungracefully until they coursed to a sloppy stop. Rei sat up indignantly and narrowed his gaze on the laughing blond who was next to him, trying to hide his giggles while he lied on his stomach. "Maxie…what was that for?"

"You s-should have seen your face!" He managed through his laughter.

Picking the loose pieces of greenery out of his hair and patting out the dirt, he lessened his glare, but gave the boy a push. "Yea, must have been a hoot."

The angel propped himself up on his elbows. "I-I'm sorry. But you were just asking for it! Just sitting there, staring off into space…the perfect target for birthday-Max!" He fell back with a grin.

"Well don't make me make you the perfect target for my tickle attack, Maxie."

Sitting up properly, the younger brought his hands up in defense. "Ok, ok. No need to get brutal. But Rei, what were you looking at?"

"…Nothing…" He stood up and made his way back up to the hillside, with Max in toe. He sat down again, with his friend beside him. As Rei continued to gaze, the younger joined him, his sea green eyes filled with confused.

"Do you mean to tell me that you're staring at nothing again?"

The raven-haired boy nodded. "Yup. Isn't it fun?" There wasn't much sarcasm, which left Max thinking. What was he looking at? And yes, he was just bored enough to think about it.

"Aw c'mon Rei, you can tell me." No response. "Please? It's my birthday! This can be part of my present!"

The raven-haired boy blinked. "What? I already gave you your present." He reached over and pulled out the necklace he had pieced together. It was composed of fifteen dragon scales (which weren't easy to obtain) that were heated and reshaped to resemble a cord, and a yellow-ish shell hung loosely in the middle. "Or is it not good enough?"

"Oh, Rei, of course it's good enough. I love it!" He fingered the shell and then slipped it back under his shirt. "It's just…I want to know what you're thinking so hard about…"

"Actually…not much. You were right. I'm just staring off…"

"Into town." He observed. "You're looking over there in particular." He pointed to the upper part, to the one house that still had some lights on. "What's so special about that house, Rei?"

"…I'm not sure…" He answered, his tone a bit distant.

"Really?"

Rei shrugged. "Well, I'm not positive, but I think that's Kai's house."

"Kai?" He echoed. "Your friend, right?"

The older nodded with a smile. He pointedly noticed that Max had called the blue-haired boy his friend, and his hunter. "I just thought it might be, since he seems like a person who'd stay up late."

Max glanced at Rei while he spoke. His eyes brightened when he talked about Kai. It was something he only recently perceived. Like when he was telling everyone about his adventure, his facial features were humored, but it wasn't the same as when he talked about his experiences with Kai (limited as they were). The older boy was unusually happy. And even now, his eyes gave him away. They positively sparkled. The angel smiled.

"That'd be cool if it really was." He squinted. "But I can barely see it. My eyes aren't as good in the dark as yours are, Rei."

"Well," He started before falling backwards. "I guess I'm just gifted."

Rolling his eyes, Max fell back too, almost on top of Rei. "Sorry I'm not as _talented_ as _you_ are." He said playfully.

"…I forgive you, Maxie." The blond laughed and poked him incessantly, which resulted in Rei tickling him mercilessly. And as the sight and sounds greeted Robert, he gave a light sigh, and let a smile cross his lips. Despite all of the trouble, he was happy to have brought them up here.

**ooo**

Kai berated himself as he pulled on his cargo pants. It was a new day, but he was still bearing the problems of the last. The hunter groaned as he recounted yesterday's fading moments. 'I should have gone to check last night after Dranzer came back. What if something happened to him? And today just happened to be the day I sleep in. That in itself classifies this as a bad day.' He slipped a black tank top over his head and narrowed his eyes as he tugged at the bottom. He had forgotten to discard this one. It was ripped at the bottom from a previous mission, cutting off one or two inches from the bottom. The crimson-eyed boy sighed and ran a hand through his hair. It wasn't a good start. "Whatever." He muttered. Gloves were slipped on sloppily, the belt missed a loop, and his cape was all but forgotten. Dranzer could have been left behind, too if she hadn't been watching him and flew to his shoulder before he left the room.

"Well thank you, Master Kai." She muttered as the door closed with a slam and the boy practically leapt down the stairs.

"Whoa, Kai! Where's the fire?" Tyson called from the kitchen as he pushed the swinging door aside. Apparently Kenny and Dizzi were there, too. They were in the middle of eating. That proved how late it was. His roommate had already gotten up and made breakfast.

But there was no time for that now. He grabbed his set of keys, slipped on his shoes, and was out of the house with a minimal: "Be back before dark."

The boy blinked in confusion. "…Huh?"

"I guess Kai just realized that he slept in." Kenny commented as he took a sip from his cup.

Letting the door swing shut, Tyson shrugged and sat down with them. "Yea, I guess so." He tilted his head.

"Is something wrong, Tyson?" Dizzi asked.

"Not really. It's just…" He glanced at the door. "Do you guys think that Kai's been acting kind of weird lately? Or is it just me thinking too much?"

"I hate to say it, but I think you are thinking too much." The brunet said over the rim of his cup.

The fairy smiled. "Yea, don't hurt yourself."

He groaned. "I'm actually serious for once, guys. I've known Kai a lot longer then I probably should have, and he's never been this…this…weird." The two looked at him. "Ok, well, so I always thought he was a bit off, but only in a Kai-kind of way. He'd be too serious over nothing, or overly critical about something I'd only look at once…that's normal Kai-behavior. But lately he's just been…off!"

"Perhaps some of this 'Kai-behavior' has rubbed off on you, Tyson, so now you're being overly critical over nothing." She suggested with the brunet nodding in agreement.

"That's what I figured at first. But really guys, have you _ever_ known Kai to sleep in for three and a half hours! He's usually up at six, six thirty at the latest…and now he's racing out around nine? C'mon, Diz, you've only known the guy for, what, a couple days as a human. Doesn't it seem odd?"

"Well…a little. However, you have to consider many factors. What if his alarm clock broke? Or he couldn't sleep? I mean, we all have our off days, right?"

"No…I know this guy. He doesn't set an alarm clock. He goes by his internal clock. And even when he stays up to catch something and comes home at goodness knows what hour of the night, he's always up and out before I wake up." He paused. "I think he's…sick or something."

Putting his fork down, Kenny tapped it lightly against the plate. "Tyson, I know you're concerned, which is already something considering it's Kai we're talking about, but you really shouldn't worry." The blue-haired boy glanced at him. "Even if something is wrong, you know that he can very well take care of himself." Picking up the dishes, he headed for the sink. "I'd stop worrying if I were you."

"Kenny's right. Kai's a big boy." She placed her elbows on the table and rested her head atop her hands. "If he has a problem and doesn't want to talk about it, then he can probably handle it." She assured.

Leaning back into his chair, Tyson nodded and sighed. "I know. It's just…weird seeing him this…off." He paused and shook his head. "It's not good Kai-ism." (2) He finished.

"Eh…Kai-ism?" Kenny echoed with a laugh. "Ok, maybe Kai isn't the only one a bit off today."

**ooo**

"Master Kai, can we slow down! I'm sure everything is fine!" Dranzer persisted as she did her best to keep up with the hunter. He was tearing through the forest effortlessly, the lack of cape and usual trapping items probably responsible for his boost of speed. "Rei is fine! Besides, since when were you so worried about him?"

"…I'm not. But something must be wrong if he wasn't there last night." He responded as he neared the waterfall. He slowed down and caught his breath as his phoenix scrambled to catch up. 'I'm not worried…I am not worried…I am not _that_ worried.' After silently acknowledging Dranzer's arrival, he swallowed the apparent lump in his throat, nodded, and dove into the lake.

A spurt of fire shot from her mouth. "Master Kai…you're killing me…" She complained as her wings lifted her up into the sky. There was quite a way to go for her, and she wasn't happy about it.

…

By the time she had scaled the mountain and descended like a rock, she lazily sat on the ground by Kai's feet, her chirps coming out as pants. "T-There…must be an easier way for me to get here…"

Kai briefly glanced around, his gaze quick but precise. "Another time, Dranzer." He whistled to get her attention. "Come on, we have to go find Rei." He began walking off, with or without his phoenix.

"But Master Kai-"

"Hey, Dranzer!" A somewhat annoying call came.

"Oh damn…" She muttered.

Kai tilted his head up, spotted the source of the alien chirp, and sighed. "We don't have time for this." He whispered shortly.

"Dranz, you know it's good to see you, but did you have to bring _that _guy along?" Trygle motioned to Kai as he landed beside her. "Hey, you looked flushed; I hope you're not sick again."

"Me? No, I'm just…catching my breath. We were, in a hurry to get here."

"Yea, apparently. Where's the fire?"

"You might as well ask him if he knows where Rei is, Dranzer." Kai instructed.

"I know, Master Kai. I was just about to." She turned to the eagle. "Trygle, last night, I came here in search of Rei-neko, but he wasn't here. In fact, I couldn't find anyone. Was everything all right?"

"Last night?" He repeated slowly. "Oh yea! Everything was great! See, it was Max's birthday yesterday, so Robert took him and Rei over to the Auburn Mountains. The rest of us retired a bit early, and were in our own little hide-a-ways, so that's probably why you couldn't find us."

At that, Dranzer was quite relieved. It was good to know that Rei was ok. "Aah, that's wonderful." Catching the blue-haired boy's gaze, she continued. "Mm, can you please go and get Rei now, Trygle? Master Kai wants to speak to him."

The golden eagle sprang up. "Talk to the hunter?" His gaze became wary. "…I don't know, Dranz. It's ok when he comes on his own, but I don't feel too good about bringing him…"

The phoenix huffed. "Well, if you won't, then Master Kai will go and search for him on his own." He stated a-matter-of-factly. "It's really your choice."

Trygle crumbled. "You know…this isn't fair! Either you do this kind of thing to me…or Rei uses his silly logic…"

"Trygle, please? I'm in no mood to go searching."

"…Mm…" With an upset ruffling of his tail feathers, Trygle cocked his head towards the hunter, waddled up to him and flapped his wings just enough to reach his eye level. "I _really_ don't know what Rei sees in you." He droned out before taking off, grudgingly searching for the raven-haired half-breed.

"Ok." Raising an eyebrow, Kai returned to Dranzer's side, sat down, and began showing her a little care for the first time that day by stroking her feathers. "Do I even want to know what he just said to me?"

"…" Weighing her options, Dranzer went with the safe choice and shook her head. "No, I don't think it bears repeating." She said with a small smile.

He shrugged. "If you say so."

**ooo**

Rei's ears twitched as he shifted. He turned to his side a bit, letting his tail fall off of the branch he was currently resting on. A breeze came by, causing his unbound hair to sway and his lengthy bangs to fall to his nose and trigger a sneeze. Still, he slept, quite peacefully actually.

Robert had brought them back late last night; finally deciding it was time to return home after Max nodded off three times when he attempted to get airborne. No, Rei hadn't been sleeping since then, but he was tired all the same. Max woke him up early and they ran around until Robert couldn't take it anymore. The older boy decided to take the blond to see the unicorns for some reason. Robert said he was interested about something. In any case, since Grypholyion went with them, Rei had free reign over the area. Too bad he was so exhausted he didn't make it farther than his tree before he gave into his slumberous desires.

It was nice to be catnapping at midmorning, especially since the subject of his recent dreams was very soothing. "…Mm…" He tilted his head and smiled. A ray of sunlight had crossed his cheek.

"Rei! Hey Ms. Sleeping Beauty, time to get up!"

"…" As sensitive as his ears were, if Rei didn't want to get up…he wasn't going to get up.

Knowing this, Trygle flew around him, continuously pecking at his shoulder and arms. "C'mon! Hey! Rei!" He nicked the boy's sleeve and pulled slightly, careful not to yank him off the branch completely. "Mm-Rei!"

There was an opposing tug. "…Leave me 'lone…" Came the mumble.

"'M not playin' 'round! That hunter of yours is waitin' for you by the falls, so get yer butt down 'here!"

The raven-haired boy's ears twitched. "…Kai?"

Letting go of his shirt, Trygle grabbed his arm within his talons' grasp. "Yea, that guy. So the sooner you and he talk, the soon he can leave!"

Golden eyes blinked open. "Kai?" He glanced at the bird. "What are you talking about, Trygle? He knows it's too risky for him to come over here." Breaking free of the sharp talons, the half-breed yawned lazily, forcing his claws to extend and his pointy incisors to show.

"Looks like someone got in late last night."

"!" Peering over a little too much, Rei retained a gasp. "Kai! What the he-whoa!"

"Rei!" The boy's sudden loss of balance resulted in a quick fall, which Trygle didn't have time to react to. He missed catching him, only managing to tear off the tail of his sash. Thankfully, someone else was paying attention.

"Hn…I thought that after our little 'closet incident', you'd be more careful about falling for me, Rei." The blue-haired boy murmured with a laugh. This time, he didn't tumble down with him. Kai managed to stay on his feet, with a disheveled boy safely held in his arms.

Furiously blushing, the younger blinked and echoed him. "…For you?"

"…On me." He quickly corrected. "This had better not become a habit." He finished hastily.

Saving a nervous chuckle for himself, Rei shook his head. "…I-It won't." Brushing some of his hair out of his face (much to Kai's dislike), he gave his savior a lazy smile. "But y-you do have great reflexes."

The blue-haired boy matched him with a smirk. "All part of the package."

Rei's ears pressed back, the color still apparent on his cheeks.

"Yea! All apart of the _hunter_ package…" Trygle volunteered rather forcefully.

Dranzer bumped him out of the way. "Trygle!" She admonished.

"I'm just reminding Rei-"

"I know, Trygle. I know…" He said rather dejectedly. The boy climbed out of Kai's arms and straightened out his clothes. "…So, uh…" He removed a few knots from his hair and tucked it away behind him. "You wanted to talk to me about something?"

'…' There was a brief jumble in the older boy's head as the site of Rei's unbound hair framing his slim body registered in his mind as a very good thing. Coughing, the hunter nodded. "Yea…" He eyed the two aviators. "In private if possible…"

Catching the blatant connotation, Dranzer began pushed her eagle friend away, slowly but surely. An amused expression crossed the half-breed's face as he motioned Kai to follow him out to the waterfall. It was bound to be a bit more secluded there.

'Perfect timing. Ok Rei, let's see what you're trying to hide from me.' Watching from his place in the brush, Driger followed the two boys cautiously. He was sure to find out what Wolborg was talking about now.

**ooo**

Rei stopped when the lake was in view. He turned to face Kai and shrugged. "All right. So, what's this little visit all about?"

"It's kind of obvious." Sauntering over to the other, he paused for a moment before sitting down. This wasn't going to be a minute. Rei obliged the silent command and joined him on the ground. "You said that you were going to contact me, but you never did. Yesterday, Dranzer came to ask you about it, and you weren't here. Actually, no one was. I got worr…I got curious," He substituted swiftly, turning his head away in the process. "And decided to make sure you didn't run away."

The raven-haired boy took this in, momentarily wondering if Kai was fueled by worry to come check on him. He managed a smile. "Sorry about that. I guess I should have said something. Yesterday was Max's birthday, so Robert took us out." He drew his legs up to his chest and rested his arms on top of them. "The others went to sleep early since there was no one to talk to."

It was acknowledged. "Right, you told me about his birthday a day or two ago."

Tapping his feet lightly against the floor, Rei kept his grin. "…Is the inquisition over now?" He asked good-humoredly.

Kai tilted his head towards the other. "What kind of meeting only has one question?"

The tapping stopped. "Meeting? Don't make it sound so formal. We're friends, you know…" He reminded with a murmur. "So, what else then?"

"…" That was a good question. What else did Kai want to talk about? Something must have been keeping him from getting up. 'If I can phrase it right, maybe I could find out what that nagging feeling is. That'd give me a solution and I can decide between the two plans. "Ok."

"Mm? Ok what?"

"…Do you remember when Tala came over the previous day?"

Rei laughed. "How could I forget? That was one of the most uncomfortable days of my life."

"Yea, same here." The hunter muttered. "Anyway, our relationship," Rei's ears twitched. "Is obviously on a friend level, right?"

"Uh huh…" Where was this going?

"Even though we argue, and don't always get along, that's the way it is."

He drawled out a response. "…Ok…yes. You were talking about that thing you had to capture…" His own answer sparked Rei's memory. 'That's what I was thinking about. I was going to ask Kai what he was trying to catch.' His attention was divided now, but as the blue-haired boy continued to talk, he nodded along.

"Correct. So...it's all right to act that way." This was proving to be difficult. Kai was never one to talk about relationships and feelings. He accepted what was there and went on with life. However, this was different. He wanted to know. The only problem was…he didn't know how to go about it. That resulted in a poorly executed 'conversation'. "…It's similar to the way we acted towards each other before…"

He knew he was supposed to be listening, but Rei couldn't help but wonder on his current thought. Kai's voice registered in his mind, but it was a whisper. Hearing a pause, he replied with a 'hn' and let the older boy continue.

'What could the creature be? It must be something rare if it's taking him _this_ long to get it. I certainly hope he isn't expecting me to help him. Oh, could that be what Tala was yelling about as Kai was pushing out? He said something about getting the - to him as soon as possible.' He thought. 'Man, why can't I remember?' His brows furrowed.

Noticing the reaction, Kai presumed it had to do with his words. "Except for the fights, I didn't mind it, but I think what's…going on between us now is…uh, good, isn't it?" A nod.

'Hm…what was the name of the creature?' Rei's contemplative mood forced him to stop his tapping. He just sat there, thinking…racking his brain. 'He practically yelled it for the whole town to hear! What was it…a…a breed of something. Oh, it's on the tip of my tongue!'

"It's certainly strange." Kai's voice called out. "What could be more inappropriate than a hunter and a half-breed, if you'll excuse the bluntness of my characterizations…"

At that, the younger boy smiled, which the other assumed to be a good sign in connection to his statement. Kai continued talking while the other boy celebrated his remembrance. 'Half! That's the word!' With a satisfied grin on his face, he rocked back a little. 'I can't believe I couldn't think of it. Man, that was idiotic. So, Tala wants Kai to find a half…' Golden eyes snapped open, dry lips parted slightly. The pieces connected in his mind, and everything began to clear as if once draped by fog.  
"_Kai, what are you-" His mouth was covered by Kai's hand before he could finish his sentence._

_"Shut up and do not move." He commanded. _

_"Eh…what did you say to me-" The door closed with a slam…_

'That's why…he didn't want Tala to see me…'  
_The hunter slowly opened the door he had been blocking, revealing a ticked off half-breed. "Rei."_

_The boy had his arms crossed, his cat ears pointed and slanted down. "Mind telling me what that was all about?" He asked calmly._

_"I would, but this isn't over yet." He glanced at the door to the kitchen, making sure Tala didn't decide to check up on him again. "Please, just stay in here. I'll explain later."_

'He was hiding me…before Tala could find me. But then why…'  
_Tala finally sighed. "I don't know." He shrugged. "I suppose even if you _did_ have something going on around here, it's none of my business unless it concerns that half-breed you owe me." _

'Half-breed…'  
"…_it's none of my business unless it concerns that _half-breed_ you owe me."_

'Kai's assignment is to find a half-breed…his job is to catch…' Rei's face paled upon realization. His eyes lost their brilliant sheen, and his mind started to spin. "…Me."

(1) Please bear with my unusual labels. Call me lazy, but it's just faster to type abbreviations.  
(2) Kai-ism: Oh c'mon, like anyone could pass up the chance of using that word. Mm…the act of someone using Kai-like behavior. _:grins:_

SS – Don't look at me! I don't know what the heck I'm typing… _:skims over bits and pieces:_ I swear, it's like someone else is typing through me. …And…I wouldn't really consider this a cliff, so there's no reason to get…miffed. _:nervous laughter:  
_Tym – _:hardly controlled laughter:_ S-Sure…this isn't a cliff…  
SS – Er…I'll just go…start the next chapter…now…bye!  
Tym – I don't know what's more hilarious, her behavior or the characters'! The OOC virus must still be floating around…

-Brief replies:

**Ilex-Aquifolium: **Thank you. I'm glad it was good to read. Hope this chapter was, too. Heh, I think a lot of people's minds fell into the gutter…just think how many times I fell in while writing it. _:grins:_

**ChibiNekoSakura:** Yea, they are one emotional breakdown short of a bunch. I've been reading too many plays. Anywho, I have been neglectful to Tala and Bryan…but they'll start showing up a lot fairly soon. Their roles are just beginning…whether or not they are the "evil ones" depends on how you perceive them.

**Kitty: **Hehe…pardon the long wait for that previous one. I was very…yea. This one was roughly on time (what clock am I going by!). The next chapter should be to your liking…a lot…I'll do my best to get it out faster (I'll pass on the life of living hell _:cough:_). Thanks bunches!

**Moon Bind: **15-6 3-15-21-18-19-5 11-1-9 12-15-22-5-19 18-5-9! 20-8-3-25 1-18-5 19-15-15-15 3-21-20-3! _:phew:_ I need a new code…my head hurts. _:laughs:_

**Syaoran-Lover: **No problem about waiting, I mean, how long did I take for that last chapter? Authoress secret: I had no clue what Kai was thinking back there either. _:shush: _But I do now, it's planned. Guess the other secret's out (like I did a good job of hiding it _:nervous laughter:_) so I applaud the good guessing! Wow, you have plenty of escape routes I could take if my ending doesn't work out…but maybe one of them is right. Hehe, you really want to see the guilt, eh? Well, I'm not promising anything because, I'm not sure if I can keep it later if I rewrite something, but I think it'll be good. _:smiles:_ No worries! I'll keep your ideas in mind just in case! Thanks a lot.

**Shini-neko-chan:** School? Heh, that's the whole reason why I can't do regular updates. I think it's a common test of a person's ability to multi-task. _:smile: _Depending on how I plan out the rest of the story, I may have some Tyson/Max. It was my original intention to do so, but…well, I'll see what I can do. Thanks for reviewing!

-Thanks a bunches for the reviews! They're loved to pieces and more pieces!  
Dark Reiko, TNTiggris, Galy, pickle-kitten, CrossHunt-s, The-Pain-Of-A-Lost-Soul, and people who just read the chapters. I don't review all the time either, so it's all right. I'm just happy that my story is enjoyable.

Anywho…looks like this is the end of the fourteenth chapter! I've almost plotted out the ending, so maybe I can update faster (but no promises). I'm loving the comments on where to direct this. It helps a lot. Thanks again for bearing with my unique update schedule, and hopefully, I shall see everyone soon! Please review! Ashes.

_:gasp:_ A "plot bunny" has invaded my head recently. However, I'm determined to finish this before starting anything else (since I'm terrible at tracking two stories), so it won't be acted upon that way. …It's really nagging though, so I may put up bits and pieces at my sheezyart place. Details later if I actually do. Bye!


	16. Words Exchanged

SS – …Two months? …Borderline three maybe? Heheh. Took me long enough, **sorry**. I had a small break (yea right) from writing my story, and when I came back I was completely lost. Nothing I did seemed to work…so…I deleted it all and rewrote everything _:grins:_ Aren't you all proud of me? Hehe. It worked, somewhat. It's not the best, but it's definitely better than what I had before.

Tym – Er…_:worries:_

SS – In any case, it's a nice long chapter for everyone. Let's start.

_Loving Legends  
_Chapter 15 – Words Exchanged  
Disclaimer: Please see the prologue.  
**Note**: Small flashbacks (indicated by _italics_) in the **beginning** are from Rei's argument with Driger from chapter thirteen. The rest are just from earlier parts of the chapter or previous ones.

Kai glanced at Rei from the corner of his eye. He hadn't said much of anything since he began on this awkward speech. 'This is stupid. Do I really stand of chance of getting some answer from him this way?' Since there wasn't any other choice, he just ran a hand through his hair and continued. "Yea, but I think we're really doing…fine all things considered. I mean, I never thought I'd befriend a creature of the Umber Woods, aside from Dranzer. Then again, how many creatures can talk back?" He paused. "We are friends, like you said. But I was wondering…if something felt…different. What do you think…?" He finished ineptly.

Rei blinked. "…Me."

"Yea, you too…"

He turned to him in disbelief. "It's me…"

Kai eyed him peculiarly. "What about you? Have you been listening to me?"

The raven-haired boy stood up abruptly, staring at Kai with frightened eyes. "It's been me this w-whole time…" He stuttered out, unsure whether he should run for the hills or stay and rip the boy's eyes out. Kai had been hunting _him_ this whole time! Either him or Max or Robert!

Kai stood and gripped the boy's shuddering shoulders. "Rei, what's the matter with you? What are you muttering about?" He asked worriedly, which only served to confuse Rei further.

'Why does he care? Why has he been so nice? Was it all to cover up his motive? Was he trying to gain my trust until he could walk me to Tala's net!'

"…Rei? What is it?

"…_Kai will never stop his vigilance. Things of value will always catch his eye, and the thought of a bounty behind every item he sees will forever plague his mind."_

'I-I can't believe he was right. Driger…you were right…' Allowing a moment of anger grip his senses, he shoved Kai's hands away and drew his fist back. "It was always me!" He yelled before aiming to strike the other's face.

"!" Kai barely caught his fist in time before it made contact. "Rei, what do you think you're doing?" There was still a lot of pressure pushing against him, and he struggled to fight it back.

"_Because, hunters aren't born hunters, humans choose to _become_ hunters. And they choose to become hunters because it fits their personality. They want the glory, they hunger for the money, and they desire the power. You can't tell me that your hunter isn't the same. You can't look me straight in the eye and tell me that your hunter never wanted any of that." He challenged in a stormy baritone._

Rei narrowed his gaze, focusing on Kai and how to get to him. "How could you…" His other hand shook slightly as it balled up. "I thought I could trust you! That you were different!" Taking a shaky step forward, he aimed to land a blow on the older boy's side, but it was also caught.

"Rei--"

"_I haven't said anything to Robert because you didn't want me to. But Rei, these encounters that you keep having with your hunter, they've got to stop. You're going to get hurt! Why are you going against your life's ideals now!"_

'I trusted you…' His ears shot up. "How could you?" His sheer strength was fueled by blind rage and confusion. All logical thinking had been suppressed. It wasn't a good side to him. "How could you do this after all I've done for you!"

Kai bit his lip. "…What did I do?"

His feet dug into the ground as he found enough footing to force Kai backwards. "You lied to me! Y-You tried to trick me!" His head hung low. "Such a foul creature…a hunter's deception. And I actually fell for it…" He admitted with heavy disappointment in himself.

"_I can tell from his actions and words! Someone can't be that caring or that fun to be around if they were still living for the money and the power!"_

Rei closed his eyes. "…I-I trusted you."

Blinking, Kai's head began to spin. 'He found out! How?' His hands were trembling from staving off the raven-haired boy's punches.

Though he was sure that he was fighting against Kai, Rei felt as though some of his words and feelings were coming back to bite him. "Your fault…" But was it really? "…my fault?" Who allowed him to come so close? Who brought the hunter into their world? Did his presence…influence Rei? He began to break down, unsure where to place the blame, or how to handle it. "…Why did you have to do this!" With a splurge of energy, Rei forced them both back, accidentally sending the two into the lake.

A silent observer was astounded by the sudden action. 'REI!' Driger poked his head out of the bushes. "…Rei…" He murmured.

"Augh." Breaking the surface of the water, Kai shook off the excess and unexpectedly met the half-breed's tired, confused eyes.

There was no answer. There was no one to blame but himself. It was his fault. "…I…"

"_But they won't always be the same! People change, Driger! Humans make changes in their lives, personalities, and souls with each new experience they encounter! Think about it, am I the same as I was even a year ago?"_

_He shook his head briefly. "You're not the same as you were one week ago! Rei, you're being foolish."_

_The raven-haired boy narrowed his gaze, his eyes beginning to slit, his ears pulling back. "Foolish? Is it foolish to stay narrow-minded and believe in what someone tells you when you were born!" _

_"No, of course not--"_

"_Then why are you condoning my friendship with Kai?_

He dropped his head. "What did I do…?" He murmured. His energy was dying down; the moment of intensified impulse had dissipated. At this point, Rei wasn't sure if he was angrier with Kai, or with himself. He breathed deeply. 'Was it my fault? Did I bring this upon myself…upon my home?' His fists loosened, though still held in Kai's grasp. 'I brought him here, let him in…is it my fault?'

Kai's grip dissolved. Now he held smooth hands in his own lightly, gently. 'Did he…give up? No, he looks completely confused. …Maybe I am too.'

Kai watched as Rei mentally berated himself and he had to wonder what was going through the half-breed's mind. But that was when he realized that he had the chance to finally end all of this. The other didn't look to be in prime condition to fight back, so if Kai acted fast enough, he could pull Rei close to him and capture him with his spare net. Done. It would be all over. There would be no prospect of a struggle; he was too…lost. Betrayed by the trust he thought that he had in Kai. The whole ordeal could end right there. He could be free from all of this frustration.

'This could work…' All he had to do was get his net – it was folded in a pouch on his belt – and throw it. Freedom was so close…

…

And yet, he couldn't bring himself to let go of the boy's hand.

'Rei.' His grip tensed slightly. No, Kai couldn't bring himself to do it. Though it was his initial mission, his body wouldn't move, his mind did not allow it. 'But then…what…'

Filling in his curiosity, the image of holding the raven-haired boy close, protectively, whispering apologies and reassurances flashed in his mind briefly, jolting Kai's head up. It was an alarming possibility, but not altogether surprising. Maybe it was because he had subconsciously admitted to having a bit of an infatuation for him already. Maybe it was because it didn't seem like such a bad situation to be in. Or maybe, it was because that was what Kai figured he really wanted in the end of all this, to simply be with Rei.

The sensation tugged the edge of his lips into a small smile. 'Yea…I guess that wouldn't be so bad…' Came the silent confession.

So then…why wasn't he making that scenario come true? Rei was still at arms distance, carrying that dazed, confused look in his amber eyes. Why didn't Kai do something about it?

'…I can't do that to him either.'

It was simply too dangerous. With the contract in effect, it was too risky to get his hopes up and try to create something with Rei…if he really wanted it…

For every possible thought of him and Rei together, there was a counter of a risk to deter each dream. They cancelled each other out. Kai's wish for that kind of future was dimmer than a candle's light in a storm. No…it wouldn't work. Neither decision was possible at this point. So, as always, he'd have to improvise.

"Who said you did anything?" He finally responded quietly. The other hesitantly glanced at him. "I certainly didn't." With a sigh, Kai let the other's hands drop and proceeded to hop out of the water. His garments were thoroughly soaked, clinging rather uncomfortably to his skin. "Man, if I had a nickel for every time you pushed me into something or dragged me somewhere else…" The blue-haired boy tentatively fingered his bangs, frowning as they stubbornly remained matted to his face. He turned and stared at the younger. "Well? Aren't you going to get out of there?"

"…" Rei's eyes flickered from confusion to suspicion and back again. 'Kai?' Sure, he was apprehensive about all of this, but he was also very wet, and he didn't need that right now. The half-breed slowly climbed out of the chest-high lake and faced the hunter with a lost expression. He supposed he could fight this out, if that was what Kai expected…but it wasn't what he wanted.

The hunter picked at his shirt, sighing as it recoiled and stuck to his chest with a smack of moister. "At least it's sunny." He grudgingly rung out the base of his cargos and flicked a good amount of water out of his dripping-wet hair. "All right, you got me."

"…What?" Rei managed in a raspy voice.

"Wasn't this your "revenge" for me tickling you a day or so ago?" The blue-haired boy asked off-handedly. "I figured you had planned out this entire scene just to make me crazy." He rubbed his cheek, catching some watered off paint on his fingers. "Crazy and wet. I suppose I had it coming." His crimson eyes stared into Rei's. "But really…it was a tad dramatic."

Golden orbs were contemplative…yet disbelieving. His brows furrowed. 'He can't be serious. Kai _knows_ that I know…he knows that his cover has been blown. Why is he keeping up this stupid act?'

"I'd do something to get you back for this, but I'm too tired." He glanced up at the sky, holding his hand slightly, as it stung a bit from catching Rei's enraged punch. "We can call it a draw. I really don't want this to drag on."

'…A draw? What's he talking about?'

"What do you say, Rei?"

'…Why are you doing this? Do you honestly expect me to trust you anymore? How can I! And still…you're acting like it's all ok! Like nothing happened…' To his knowledge or not, a tear slid down his cheek. 'Why did you have to do this? Is a bounty all you really want in the end? Do I matter as anything other than a creature to be caught? Kai…I thought…'

He must have been staring off into space. He obviously wasn't paying attention; otherwise Kai's hand to his face wouldn't have made him jump. "What?" He yelped.

"You weren't saying anything." He stopped the tear and wiped it away with his thumb. "Daydreaming again, Rei? Or is this part of the act, as well?"

'I don't understand. Are you trying to make me forget? Do you think this will make everything all right? Why are you doing this to me?' Another tear.

"Well this is a first. I've never seen anyone cry on the spot and still stare off into space." He shrugged it off. "Are you trying to guilt me into something?" He asked dryly, almost teasing. Two more slid down his face. Following the curve of his cheek until they met the blue-haired boy's waiting hand, which rested at the base of his chin.

'Or…are you trying to make this easier for me? I don't want to remember this. I want to believe that Driger _is_ wrong about you.' He closed his eyes. 'Tell me…you're changing. Tell me that I am right. I want to be right about you…'

"Fine, Rei. If this will make you stop acting, then I'll say it." He sighed. "I'm sorry for tickling you, ok?" He acted as though the words had been forcefully dragged out of his mouth, though there was a smirk playing on his lips. "Hey, are you listening?" Kai prodded his shoulder. Rei's eyes opened. "You forgive me, right?" His words asked for forgiveness of his act, his eyes asked for forgiveness of what he was. It was both lighthearted and genuine, and he hoped that the boy saw that.

'…Forgive you? Too bad it isn't that easy. There are so many questions I want to ask you, so many things that I need to hear. But for now…is that really enough? Can I trust you…even if it's only for now? …I-I want to…'

Letting his shoulders fall, Rei nodded his head and fell against him. It seemed almost expected, as Kai didn't stumble or tense. No, he held him gently, with his arms wrapping around the younger one's waist, and it seemed right. Their bodies fit perfectly, one alongside the other, neither uncomfortable (save for the water) nor unwanted. And so it was, one breath with the other, in silence, for uncounted seconds.

'Hm…' Kai held back his shivers as he felt Rei mumble an, "I forgive you." into his wet shirt and kept his smirk. And a little later, even released a brief laugh as the half-breed added a concluding, "…You idiot." against the base of his slightly moist neck.

It seems that a mutual agreement had been made between them, silent, yet acknowledged. Kai had given up on his initial quest, and began thinking of which plan to go with to save Rei from Tala grasp. In turn, Rei had forgiven him…and some foundation of real trust had been laid. He was still apprehensive, but not to the point where he avoided the other. There was no need for that. There would never be a need for that anymore.

It was supposed to be a sweet moment, something to be shared with a smile… 'Rei…' But that wasn't the case. 'Rei, what have you done to us? What have you decided?' Driger's eyes narrowed. 'In the end, you'll choose him? Is that what you want?' He pivoted with a sharp twist of his body and stalked off into the brush. 'This is quite unsettling…' He was sure to have been heard. And he was.

**ooo**

"You shouldn't wear that shirt anymore."

"I know."

"It's ripped, why do you still have it?"

"It's not by choice. I…forgot to throw it away."

"Aren't you cold?"

"Not really. The wind is light, and the sun is out."

"…Guess so."

They were talking, but it seemed…different. It wasn't forced, but modified. Neither new just how to approach the other anymore. The thought of bringing up the situation was frightening. Surely it would ruin what they had mended, and right now, they didn't need that. Kai needed to know that Rei still trusted him, and Rei needed to know that Kai could still be that. It was a rickety friendship now, and both were unsure of whether or not this was actually the best way to have gone about it.

"How long do you plan on staying?" Rei asked.

"…Not much longer. I don't want you to get caught--" The words left his mouth before he comprehended what he had said. He glanced towards the other, yes…he had tensed. "…Caught by Robert. I don't want you to get in trouble." He muttered.

The raven-haired boy didn't know whether to be relieved or not. "Yea…" Biting his lip, Rei groaned. He didn't want to keep avoiding it. "Uh, Kai--"

Said boy stood abruptly. He wasn't ready for this yet. He was still unsure. "Maybe I should go now." He whistled for Dranzer.

Rei quickly picked himself up. "Wait. I think we…"

The blue-haired boy faced him slowly. "…Think we what, Rei?"

"…" He paused. What was he going to say? What did he want from Kai? What could he ask of him aside from what he was doing now? It was killing both of them. This definitely wasn't the best way to go. However, it was far too late. "I think…that you should go." His voice dropped a tone with each word. It wasn't what he wanted; it was what was best.

A hand fell on his shoulder, and Rei didn't hesitate to look up into Kai's understanding mahogany eyes. "I think…we'll talk about this…later."

"How long do you need?" It wasn't about time to think, it was about time to settle some business.

"I'm not sure. It's not like I get tangled up in this kind of situation every week." He paused. "Although, it shouldn't be too long considering I have some experience getting out of these kinds of messes now." He hinted at the trouble he and Rei had gotten into the past few days.

Golden eyes caught on and lit up. For the first time since this whole situation began, Rei smiled. It was pure, true. "Well…all the same, you'd better take your time. I'll see you when I see you."

Kai matched his grin. "Yea, sure."

The raven-haired boy laughed, the familiar sound filled the area again. There was a reaffirming squeeze before the older let go. Something was forming. And while neither really recognized what it was, it _was_ there. Perhaps after the ordeal was settled, it would grow. Until then, it'd have to wait.

"Master Kai."

"Dranzer, hold up!"

Both boys turned, the two feathered creatures were back. Dranzer slowed to a halt, settling lightly on Kai's shoulder with a puff. They then waited for Trygle to come; he was always a bit slower than she was.

"Are we done here?" She asked quietly.

Crimson eyes vaguely shifted. "Yes. It's time to go." He met a golden stare briefly before turning to leave.

Rei nodded, his smile fading with every passing step. He had a lot of think about, things to sort out while Kai attended to his own. 'In the end, everything will be ok.' Placing a pat or two on Trygle's head, the half-breed retired to the confines of the forest. This was going to take a while. 'Everything…will be ok, in the end…'

**ooo**

"And that's when Unicolyion hugged me and we--"

"Wait a minute, how could Unicolyion "hug" you? Isn't she a…horse?"

"You know what I mean! I hugged her, and she put her head near the side of my face."

"…Anyway…"

"Oh yea! And then Robert and Grypholyion said good bye and…"

Rei continued to nod along. That was what we had been doing since Max started his story. Though he wasn't really listening, the gist was that Robert suspected Max's powers could be growing. And going to see the unicorn was somewhere along the lines of a…check up.

"It was beautiful up there! But…kind of hard to breathe. Still, it was definitely worth the trip."

Another nod. Rei was always happy when Max was around, however, his mind was still swimming. He needed to think. And it was just hard to do that when the blond talked on and on…

"You're making me jealous, Max. I wish I could have gone, too." Draciel interrupted.

"I don't know…it would be hard, even for Grypholyion to get you all the way up there." Max mumbled. He hugged the turtle anyway. "I'm sorry for neglecting you, Draciel. I didn't mean to." If it was possible, the creature smiled. That put Rei in a better mood. Their feelings were so simple, their situation…not even qualifying the word. The half-breed couldn't remember when things were that straight forward for him.

"You two are too sweet." Driger said with a slight sneer. "You're together all the time; you're getting riled up over nothing." Then again, maybe he was envious of their simplicity as well.

The three continued to talk and Rei slowly slid out of the conversation. It was awkward sitting near the tiger. He knew that he heard some rustling earlier when he was with Kai, and there was no doubt that Driger had been there, watching them. Rei didn't know why though. Sure, Driger was never comfortable with Kai's presence, but the question was…why hide? Why hadn't he charged in and separated them? It may have relieved a bit of the pressure during that incident. …But he hadn't.

Golden eyes glanced at the tiger apprehensively. 'What are you thinking, Drig?' He kept his arms crossed. 'I already worry about Kai's intentions…do I have to keep track of you, too?' His ears fell. 'Kai.' It brought him back to the source of his confusion. Yes, he was still mildly confused. Sure, the two had…settled things, and they were on good terms, but there was a nagging doubt in the back of Rei's mind.

Don't trust him. 'He tried to catch me.' Get away. 'He's a hunter.' Run.

'…He tried to make it seem like nothing had happened at all, like I was acting that way as revenge for what happened a few days ago. Why? I know that he's not that dense. So what was he trying to accomplish?' His brows furrowed. 'Was it all to avoid fighting? Maybe he didn't want me to start something.'

Out of the corner of his eye, Driger noticed Rei's contemplative posture and tilted his head. He didn't know what to make of him anymore, not after what he had witnessed back at the falls. Still, the tiger retained a scrap of satisfaction at the sight of the boy's confusion.

'I really wish that Kai had done all of that because he didn't want me to blame myself. To prove that…he didn't want to lose what platonic relationship we had built together.' Rei closed his eyes. 'But it's so hard…to believe…' He rubbed the bridge of his nose. 'My head hurts…' Standing slowly, he muttered an, 'I'll see you guys later' and paced off.

Driger observed this carefully. The boy stumbled once before he was completely out of sight. His mood soured slightly.

"Rei?" Max whispered. His blue eyes dimmed. "He didn't look too well. Wonder if he's ok…" He trailed.

Driger's tail swatted the ground incessantly, bits of guilt and nagging slowly building up within his better conscience. With a grunt of a roar, the tiger picked himself up and waved away the blond's worries. "I'll go check on him."

The words were not clear to Max, but the message was fairly recognizable. He nodded and motioned for Draciel to follow him. They headed for the waterfall as Driger pursued Rei.

**ooo**

Rei's tail lightly bopped off of his leg with every clumsy step he took. He wasn't sure where he was going, but he surmised that he'd end up where he always did: his tree. Funny how things worked out that way. Upon reaching his universal destination, the half-breed fell to the ground, not bothering to get comfortable. He tapped his forehead, as if attempting to knock the ache out. Shaking his head, Rei finally slumped against the trunk with a withering sigh. "Too much thinking…"

"That would be a first, right?"

There was no need to look up.

"Driger, not now." He really didn't need the tiger at this point, neither his presence nor his admonishing words. However, as disconcerting as he appeared, Driger didn't hesitate as he made his way over to the boy and lay down beside him.

Rei waited, his eyes shut tightly, for those reprimanding words…his hand unconsciously balling up into a fist and releasing. There was a stinging silence, and still, not a word from the tiger. The creature simply lay there, his tail flicking every once and a while.

"…Driger?"

A low grumble came, and he scrunched his nose. That was it.

Rei blinked. Wasn't he going to say something? He thought that the creature would start scolding him for being with Kai back there, at the falls. For not finishing the fight, for not trying harder with his punches, for allowing himself to be hugged and then forgiving him…wasn't he going to say anything?

Silence.

"…I'm glad you did not catch a cold."

The raven-haired boy struggled with that. "…Catch…a cold?"

"After you fell in the water, you never really dried off." He murmured before burying his head deeper into his forelegs. "I'm glad that you are not sick."

Rei swallowed. That was all? He listened intently for more. Perhaps that was just the icebreaker to ease him into the upcoming argument revolving around what else had happened after he had fallen into the lake.

Silence.

Rei leaned his back against the tree's familiar bark as his ears relaxed. It appeared that…that was all he wanted to say. A small smile graced Rei's lips.

"Yea." He replied softly. "I'm glad, too."

For that brief moment, simplicity had returned.

**ooo **

Kai bit his bottom lip, picked up the pencil tucked behind his ear, and scratched out another page off of his notepad. Dranzer laughed to the best of her abilities and continued preening herself.

"Thanks for your concern, Dranz." He managed before he flipped the page over and started again. His efforts at creating a successful plan were as futile as the day was long. Upon his return from the woods, Kai had realized that, as reasonable as his previous ideas were, they probably wouldn't be able to drive Tala away for good. However, they would annoy him, so he stashed them away for future use.

It seemed like he was really going to have to think of something if he wanted to get Rei and himself out of this mess.

"It's getting late, Master Kai…" Dranzer reminded.

"I know."

"Did you think of anything promising yet?"

"No, but I will before I go to sleep."

"How long will that be?"

"…"

She tried again. "Master Kai?"

"…"

It was no use. It was never any use when he had a stubborn idea in his head. "Good night, Master Kai."

His eyes flicked in her direction briefly. "Good night, Dranzer."

He turned off the main light to give her a comfortable atmosphere and retired to his bedside with the lamp on. He crossed out another idea and slowly grazed over his past concoctions. They all seemed ok, but were actually flawed. The funny part of it was that all of those mistakes…they looked like things Kai would have been able to fix if he really wanted to. Those plans could work if he really sat down and tried.

Kai rubbed his eyes. Maybe he was just imagining things. It was late. After all, if they could work and could get him and Rei out of all this, he…would use them…

"…Wouldn't I?" His gaze drifted around the room, finally settling on the chair near the door. The clothes he had lent Rei that night lay there, washed, but still filled with the boy's intoxicating scent…

Putting his notepad on the nightstand, Kai climbed into bed and turned off the lamp.

**ooo** – _a few days later_ – **ooo**

"Are you sure this is the best idea, Master Kai?"

"It's pretty much the only idea that's workable, so yes, it's the best."

"Of course."

The two were heading to the outskirts of town, where Bryan had residence. Because of his current job, Tala stayed there, to be within range. Actually, he had an accommodating house in Amidaru. Kai had the…pleasure of going there once before.

"Do you want me to get involved?" She asked.

"…No. It's probably best if you don't." He rounded the corner and continued down the cobble steps, the clapping sounds of his shoes against the pavement echoing down the open alleyway. "If Bryan's there, however, you'll have to keep him busy. He'll want to intervene if things get messy."

Dranzer stared at him. "Master Kai?"

He paused. "Nothing too messy. I just know that Tala won't take this news lying down." And then continued walking.

"All right. But I don't know if I'll be able to not intervene either."

"The worst is that he'll do some yelling. Tala's never been one to fight with anything other than his words." He rethought that. 'Then again, that was a long time ago…' He kept that to himself.

"…Ok."

The two approached the last house on the block. From the outside, it seemed like an upstanding family lived there, what with the pots of flowers lining the terrace, sturdy maintenance, and unusually subtle beige paint job. If Kai were the passerby, he'd guess it belonged to a family with little kids and a dog or something.

"Closed communication now, Dranzer. No more talking." As she nodded, he rang the doorbell. Once. Twice.

After a few seconds a thumping noise was heard as someone inside walked across the floorboards. Another door opened and closed. Kai stepped back. Clip-clap sounds resounded in the small stairwell as a person came down. It was Tala.

The redhead didn't look too pleased to see him, but let him in all the same. The gate met its metal frame with a crack as it locked itself and the two boys headed up to the main floor of the house. Kai exchanged his shoes for slippers and waited as Tala closed the door. (1) He motioned him to the living room, casually eyeing Dranzer before proceeding.

Nodding, the blue-haired boy lifted her from his shoulder. "Master Kai?" She chirped. He shook his head, holding a finger to his lips. He placed her gently on the coat rack, stroking her downing a few times, and then headed to the living room. 'Don't lose your temper.' She hoped.

The conversation started immediately.

"You know," The redhead started just as Kai took a seat on the opposing chair. "I wasn't sure whether to be relieved or angry when I got your call, Kai."

The hunter met his searing gaze momentarily, and then quickly glanced around the room. It was mildly lit, but he could make out most of the details. The floor was hardwood, a rich oak color that happened to match the furniture. It was all wood, except for one worn looking armchair near the corner. He remembered a few boxes at the entrance and noticed the fading smell of paint in the air. The bare windows were open; it wasn't uncomfortable.

"Sounds like Bryan isn't home." He mentioned offhandedly.

Tala's gaze narrowed. "He went out." It wasn't hard to see that Kai had sidestepped his initial statement.

"I wish Tyson went out more…" He grumbled with a wistful undertone.

It was meant to be slightly humorous, aiding to lift the thick tension. "Un." It didn't work. Tala was getting frustrated.

"I wish _you'd_ get out more, Tala. You look like you're going to grow right into the floorboards."

…Really frustrated. He sat up straight and locked onto teasing, mahogany eyes. He figured that the statement was driven by the fact that his current attire was a color akin to that of the wood…but it wasn't the time. "Kai."

"Tala."

"I'm not in the mood," He declared. "There's a reason why you phoned and came over and now I want to know if it's _good news_, or bad news." The ice had been broken…finally.

"Well, since you brought it up," He began. "It's very good news." That delighted the other. "Tala," Kai smirked. "I'm calling off our deal."

That…did not."

Crystal blue eyes focused, trying to find the ill humor folded into every Hiwatari statement. Fortunately or not, there was none. "Calling it off?" His tone easily reflected what his eyes showed: annoyance and disbelief.

"I've found a better use for my time and energy," The hunter got up and walked closer to the entrance. "And your request isn't part of that. Sorry. I hope this won't ruin your plans, Tala."

The other shot up and stormed towards him. "What do you mean sorry! This wasn't a friendly request, Kai, it was a mission, an assignment, one that you readily agreed to and signed to finished. You can't just quit now."

"Oh, that's right," He held his hand out. "I'm going to need that contract back, too."

Tala crossed his arms, eyeing Kai's waiting hand with a smirk. "You really think I'm that dense? It binds you to our agreement. Going against it now without a legitimate reason can very well terminate your license with Mr. Black."

Kai nodded monotonously. "I know that. Which is why I need you to give it back to me so that I can keep my job." He said with a matter-of-fact tone.

While some lesser hunter got the entire bounty from the client, hunters of Kai's caliber had contracts with Mr. Black. In return for a percentage of the bounty, the proprietor provided the most elite equipment and certain benefits. True, the blue-haired boy hardly used trapping devices, but the perks weren't too bad. Mr. Black had connections throughout the land, well beyond the town's borders. And Kai had access to those benefits as long as he was licensed, housing payments, food, transportation…it was well worth a portion of every bounty.

"Unless you actually have a reason, you're not getting out of anything, Kai." Tala retorted with a grunt. Maybe he was making a game out of this like the used to do. After all, what could possibly persuade Kai to risk his license? Being a bounty hunter was his life, was there really something that could have made him consider giving it all up? Nothing. Certainly nothing. They may not have been close, but Tala assumed to know enough about the other to bet his life on that.

Calculating crimson eyes studied him for a glance, and then broke the contact. "…Well then, I'll just have to give my grounds to Mr. Black and have him cancel our agreement personally." He turned sharply and reached for the doorknob. "I knew coming here would be a waste of time."

Cold blue eyes hardened. What was Kai saying? Oh, he must have been milking this act for all it was worth. "Nothing you say can get you out of this." Came the singsong response. "You'll just hurt your reputation when you go down there and attempt to beg your way out." He ended with a smirk.

Quickly switching from slippers to shoes, Kai merely opened the door, whistling for Dranzer to follow him. Tala huffed and pursued him, closing the door with an annoyed crack. Now this was just getting irritating. Maybe Kai _wasn't_ trying to get something out of this other than permission to leave the deal.

"I'm getting the feeling that you aren't kidding anymore, Kai." His hand reached out to grab the boy's shoulder, only to be on the receiving end of the phoenix's mad squawking. "Hey!" He quickly withdrew. "Kai? Kai!" Said boy stopped, gripping the metal of the gate's handle firmly. Kai waited, allowing Tala to say his peace. "Come on, what's this really about? I've known you for…well, much too long for my liking, and you've never acted like this during an assignment."

Nothing.

"I get the feeling this isn't about money or any of our conditions." He narrowed his gaze. "It's…about the creature, isn't it?"

His hold tightened.

A whisper of curiosity announced itself. "Did you find it? Did something happen after that?" Noticing the lack of reaction, he pressed on. "Kai…what did it do to you?" It wasn't that he was worried if something had changed the boy; he was merely…interested.

"Nothing happened." The statement came out fast and strong, perhaps a little too strong.

"Something did happen. Great. Well if you were foolish enough to fall for any of its tricks, then maybe I should let you try to explain yourself. That'll be a laugh. You'll get your license revoked and I won't have to deal with you anymore." It was his last attempt to shake Kai from his act…granted that it was still going on.

The other's head dropped slightly, as if to apologize, in his own way.

When no response came, the redhead looked away. "You're not listening to me…" He shrugged. "You are really serious about getting out of this then, aren't you?"

The lock unlatched. The blue-haired boy gave the gate a tug, letting it ajar. "…I hope you won't be getting into much trouble because of this." Echoes of shoes against cobblestone filled the entrance, slowly fading into the breeze's howl after a few seconds. The gate swayed freely…Kai was gone.

Running a hand through his hair, Tala stood over the threshold with a confused stare. "Same to you, Kai…"

**ooo**

Kai trudged back to the center of town. His visit hadn't gone the way he planned at all. And that was more enough to vex him. 'Now what am I going to do?' He truly didn't know that Tala had given the contract to Mr. Black. He figured that the redhead wouldn't let it out of his sight. Apparently, he had had faith that this would be an easy assignment for Kai to complete. 'Hn…that's what I thought, too.' Now he had to reason his way out with Mr. Black, which wouldn't be easy.

He wanted to ask himself when things got so complicated, but there was no point. It was his fault. He had approached Rei in the wrong way from the start, didn't realize what a mess he had gotten himself into until it was too late, and just when he could have ended it all, he went and tried to patch things up with Rei instead. It was one mistake after another, and he wasn't even sure if this attraction…this infatuation was really worth it.

"_You really think I'm that dense? It binds you to our agreement. Going against it now without a legitimate reason can very well terminate your license with Mr. Black."_

The thought hadn't really occurred to him before. Even though he knew it, Kai never realized what kind of jeopardy he had put his job in by following these feelings that Rei elicited from him.

His aimless walk came to a halt as the feared question finally entered his mind. '_Is _it really worth it?'

Sure, he and Rei had finally settled their problems, and yes, he liked Rei's company (more than he'd ever admit to), but where was it all going, if anywhere? What if it wasn't going to go anywhere at all?

'Maybe…it _isn't_ worth it.'

He swallowed hard.

_A hand fell on his shoulder, and Rei didn't hesitate to look up into Kai's understanding mahogany eyes. "I think…we'll talk about this…later."_

_"How long do you need?"_

_"I'm not sure. I've never done this before."_

_…Rei smiled. It was pure, true. "Take your time, then. I'll see you when I see you."_

_Kai matched his grin. "Soon, it'll be soon."_

_The raven-haired boy laughed. "All right."_

Kai didn't know. Strangely enough, the notion of having to choose between his job and his desires (small desires, it wasn't a favorite word, or one used often in his vocabulary) never crossed his mind. But then, maybe that was because nothing had ever made him feel like this before…

"Master Kai?"

His brows furrowed at the conclusion. Patting Dranzer's talons, Kai continued on his way, though at a much slower pace than before.

**ooo**

It had only been a few days – was it two or three? – since Kai had left. Rei wasn't worried…not too much. He was a bit preoccupied with Driger's peculiar behavior to fully concentrate on Kai.

'He should be with Robert and Grypholyion now. That will give me at least an hour to talk to Wolborg about all of this.' His wandering steps eventually led him to the lake by the summit, the ice wolf's territory. It was late in the day, so he figured that his friend would be coming back from the cliffs soon. Whenever he could, Wolborg would visit Falborg for a little while – they were war buddies – and they would make small talk last for as long as they could before it disintegrated to immaterial verbal sparring (which wasn't such a bad thing either).

Upon reaching his destination, he saw that the site was at ease, completely undisturbed by anything other than the wind. Rei was right; Wolborg was nowhere to be found. Breathing in the scent of the lake and its neighboring waterfall, he fell to the ground and made himself comfortable. He'd be back soon. Unable to resist the temptation, he let his body relax and lean back into the warm earth, with his arms behind his head. These past few days, though uneventful, were acid to his mind. It was a stressful time.

'Kai…' The darkening skies reminded him of the boy's hair. He closed his eyes. 'I want to believe him. I know he's good…' His ears flicked. 'I know he is. I just wished he would…' The raven-haired boy's eyes opened slowly, drinking in the color before him with a desperate yearning. 'Why did he have to try and catch me in the first place? No…' Again, the dark confines surrounded his vision. 'Why did he have to trick me like that…'

A low rumble suddenly reached Rei's ears. They perked up. "Mm?" It was faint, but he heard it fairly well. The boy sat up, trying to determine where it came from. "There?" He whispered to himself. It was coming from his left. There were two distinct rumbles, vibrations of voices. Rei slowly got to his feet and padded over to the site. At the sound's crescendo, he was able to make out who was there. "What?" He had to make sure, because at the moment, it didn't seem plausible.

Getting on his hands and knees, the half-breed peered through the tall reeds with curiosity. He was right it was Wolborg and Driger. 'Driger? I-I thought that he was at Robert's cave. What's he doing here…freely talking with Wolborg no less?' He sat back on his legs, intent on doing a bit of good-natured eavesdropping.

"Has he been talking to you lately?" That was Wolborg; he was sitting up, conversing actively.

"Not a lot, but yes, every once and a while when we're away from everyone else. That's the only time he feels comfortable around me now." Driger's voice dropped a bit at the end.

"I'm not surprised, after all, you did give him a good yelling a while back."

The tiger zeroed his gaze on him. "How did you know about that? Did Rei--"

"Of course he did. It took a bit of coaxing, but in the end, he gave me the argument in bullet points." He answered in a teasing, matter-of-fact tone.

"I should have known." He slumped down to the ground. "All right, then you pretty much know the situation. What now?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, what should I do? I don't like Rei's behavior around--"

"Around you, or Kai?"

Driger snorted. "Around me! Don't drag the hunter into this. He's the cause of all this trouble."

"Is he really?"

"Of course. If it weren't for him, Rei wouldn't be so lost and confused." Driger stated. The remark caused Rei to furrowed his brows, causing his head to tilt lower. "He does nothing but play with the boy's emotions and trust. That hunter is using him for all he's worth." He growled, verbal venom dripping from his tone. "It's inconceivable that Rei hasn't caught on yet." The half-breed's ears considerably fell. He knew that Driger didn't like Kai, but these thoughts…Driger wasn't holding back on his criticism.

"I would think you'd hold Rei in a higher regard. He's much more observant than you give him credit for." Wolborg defended. "Maybe that's all from your point of view, which may not be a very credible one since you despise hunters so." He paused. "If Kai was so dangerous, I'm sure Rei would have figured it out by now."

"Would he _really_? I'm starting to think that Rei knows and is hiding it. He probably likes the risks--"

"Even if Rei trusts Kai, he's still a hunter, Rei wouldn't let his presence threaten our home. He's much too responsible to let that happen."

"You say that now, but how can you ignore all of the stunts he's pulled lately? Like when…"

The argument continued, but Rei slowly backed out of it, sliding away quietly. Doubt filled the caverns of his mind; his very person was being questioned. 'A-Am I really all that you say I am, Wolborg?' His eyes took on a dull amber appearance. 'You think of me too highly. Driger's right, I did take a lot of risks with Kai. And I guess deep down, on some level, I always knew that Kai would do something like this.' Letting the blue-haired boy into their home, training him, making deals, going to his house…the memories resurfaced in his mind, bringing a bitter taste with them. 'How could I _not_ know?' He shook his head. 'It's impossible, I _must _have known.'

Rei knew himself better than that. He wasn't that dense. But then…he must have…

'…Did I push all of my instincts aside to have a little fun, a little adventure? Could I have silenced my subconscious and fooled myself into believing that Kai wasn't like every other hunter?' Heat rose to the boy's cheeks. 'Maybe…maybe I was so sick of being confined behind that mountain, having to sneak out and have mediocre adventures, only able to appease a fraction of Max's desire for a taste of the outside world, that I willingly let Kai come so far in return for some real freedom, a little dangerous fun.'

His suppressed a moan in his throat. He wasn't far enough away to be out of earshot. It wasn't safe for them to know. 'Yes, now I understand. That's what happened.' His hands balled up into fists on the ground, collecting dirt and pieces of stone between his fingers. 'I was tired of being…confined. I hated the fact that life was so…safe.' Two crystalline tears dropped against his hands. 'I wanted to get out. I wanted some fun.' He forced his eyes shut. 'And Kai gave me that. It may have seemed like he was using me, but truthfully, it was no more than I was using him.'

Waiting for the next set of tears to fall, Rei then opened his eyes, the golden color returning slightly. He wasn't really happy, but he wasn't confused anymore. He understood. Upon trembling legs, the raven-haired boy stood. Brushing the earth from his hands, he turned around and started walking back. 'Things weren't as simple as I thought, but at least now, I can see the picture. I understand the entire thing…' He stopped to clear the signs of anxiety from his face.

"But now that I know…" He looked up, his gaze resting on the sky above him. It wasn't hard for him to imagine Kai's face, to feel those piercing, demanding crimson eyes on him. "Now what do I do?" He shifted and glanced at the lake's edge. His calm reflection stared back at him, ripples blowing across his face as the wind picked up.

'…How much did I really gain just now? I don't blame Kai anymore. I can't. I'm just as responsible for all of this as he is. I'm the one who let things come this far.' A leaf completely obscured his watery mirror as it landed on the lake's surface. As it slowly drifted away, so did Rei's frustration. It wasn't doing him any good to harbor it. It only confused him further.

'I…I need to talk to Kai. He kind of told me he was sorry…'

_"Fine, Rei. If this will make you stop acting, then I'll say it." He sighed. "I'm sorry for tickling you, ok?" He acted as though the words had been forcefully dragged out of his mouth, though there was a smirk playing on his lips. "Hey, are you listening?" Kai prodded his shoulder. Rei's eyes opened. "You forgive me, right?" His words asked for forgiveness of his act, his eyes asked for forgiveness of what he was. It was both lighthearted and genuine, and he hoped that the boy saw that. _

"Well, he made an effort. And that's a lot coming from him." He whispered in a warm tone. Another gale swept the water. "I…think I need to tell him. It may not be much to him, but it's definitely something to me." A small smile crossed his lips, and that was the last thing he saw in the lake before he sprinted off, heading towards the mountain that separated the two similar areas.

**ooo**

Tala walked around the living room (he did not admit to pacing) as he ran a hand through his hair for the fourth time that minute. It was all he had been doing since Kai left, well, he had changed _and then_ he proceeded to wearing a hole into the floorboards.

'Kai wouldn't really…no, of course he would. When he sets his stubborn mind on something, he'll go through with his stubborn idea until it's been accomplished.' He paused for a moment and scratched the back of his neck. 'I know he's got a good reason. Even if he didn't say anything, I could see it in his eyes. He was determined.'

Finally falling into the couch with a loud groan, Tala closed his eyes and let his arm fall over his face. "Damn it!" This wasn't going to be good. His boss would not allow this to happen, not when he was so close to finishing what his mentor had started.

RING RING

He lifted his arm and glanced at the phone to his left. "Huh?"

RING RIN-

"Hello?"

"Tala, I haven't heard from you in a while."

"S-Sir!" He bolted up out of reflex. "I'm sorry sir, but this mission is taking a lot longer than I had antici--"

"I don't want to hear your excuses." An eerie silence ensued. "You know how important getting this specimen is, don't you?"

"Yes sir."

"And you know that if I don't get what I want, I'll just have to use my best associates in place of them, right?"

Tala swallowed hard. "Yes sir."

"Well, I'm glad that we understand each other. I expect to hear from you before the day's end. Either you have the creature, or I have you. Am I clear?" His voice was so casual that it speared Tala with a new level of fear.

"Yes, I understand completely, sir."

"Good." The line went dead right there, but the redhead couldn't bring himself to put the receiver down just yet. His eyes were contemplative, slowly coming to terms with what his superior was saying. If the creature wasn't delivered…well, he'd never have to worry about Kai again.

His eyes found the clock it was nearly five. The sun was slowly beginning its descent. Tala squeezed his eyes shut. He couldn't believe how far he had let this all get. And now… 'I have until the day's end…or else…' His grip tightened immensely. 'It's either me…or Hiwatari.' His knuckles turned white.

"And it sure as hell isn't going to be me!" He slammed the phone down onto its charger, certainly cracking or breaking some part of it upon its violent impact. The boy collapsed on the couch once again. He really didn't need this now. Really…

It took a minute or so before his breathing calmed itself. Still, he took deep breaths through his nose and out his mouth. His mind cleared as his ice blue orbs opened. 'Kai…I don't know how I know, but you must have something important to do with that half-breed I asked for. That's the only reason why you'd abandon me like this.'

He gradually picked himself up and walked towards the front door. 'I could see the emotion in your eyes, and that's already something considering that you'd never be so careless about it.' He tugged his jacket off of the rack and switched to his boots. Soon, he was click-clacking down the stairs to the gate. 'I'm sorry, but I'm not going to let myself or Bryan be subjected to that man's twisted plans.' He locked the gate behind him and quickly headed for Mr. Black's office, hoping to stop Kai before the contract was cancelled. 'You had plenty of time to get yourself out of this Kai, now I'm going to get myself out. Even if that means destroying whatever you're trying to accomplish.'

**ooo**

Rei stumbled out of the Umber Woods, catching himself before setting foot beyond the barrier. He had to be careful. The sun was beginning to set, but it wasn't too dark, and people could still be walking around. 'Thank goodness Kai lives in the upper part of town.' The raven-haired boy glanced to his right. He had taken a different route, so he was farther from Kai's house than usual. Still, he was lucky; no one seemed to be around at the moment. With a quick observation to his surroundings, Rei grinned to himself and continued on his way. He didn't go into town just yet, he played it safe and stayed inside the woods just enough to give him cover.

'I hope Kai's home, otherwise I would have come all this way for nothing.' The half-breed continued on his way, a little distracted, though not enough to collide into the evident trees. 'After I tell him we're both to blame…will he drop that act he put up before? He knew that I knew he was after me, but hid it all…for my benefit? When I tell him it's all right, really all right, will things get back to normal then? I don't like the way things are now.'

_"How long do you plan on staying?" Rei asked._

_"…Not much longer. I don't want you to get caught--" The words left his mouth before he comprehended what he had said. He glanced towards the other, yes…he had tensed. "…Caught by Robert. I don't want you to get in trouble." He muttered._

_The raven-haired boy didn't know whether to be relieved or not. "Yea…" Biting his lip, Rei groaned. He didn't want to keep avoiding it. "Uh, Kai--"_

_Said boy stood abruptly. He wasn't ready for this yet. He was still unsure. "Maybe I should go now."_

Rei shook his head. 'I hate it. It's like we were modifying our speech. I rather we fight than keep that up.' He stopped, pausing to catch his breath and to check how far he had come. No, not yet…almost.

'Hopefully, we can act normal around each other again.' He looked away. 'I…hate talking to Kai like that.' For some reason, he rested. He leaned against one of the trees along the barrier of the forest. "…What will happen after that?" Came the murmur. He sighed, and as his head tilted forward, locks of his unbound hair fell across the side of his face, veiling his vision. The boy just realized how often he had left it down lately, it'd been a while since it was fully bound in its wrapping. 'Wonder when I stopped…'

_"Why? It'll just get in the way if I leave it out." He pushed all of it behind him; however, a few stubborn strands fell over his shoulder. "What good is it if I leave it unbound anyway?"_

_Kai shrugged. "Well, you went through all the trouble of taking care of it, why not show it off?" He held a few of the silky tresses in his hand, letting them slowly fall across his fingers. "Besides, you look…cute." He finished with a light smile, a very light smile. _

His cheeks colored at the memory. That was an awkward day. Still, he felt warmer from the reminisce.

SHEE SHEE

Rei whirled around, his eyes darting back and forth. It sounded like someone was there, watching him. After all, the wind didn't cause bushes to move like that. He walked back the direction he came, keeping his senses alert. 'Someone's here…'

SHEE SHEE

Rei's ears twitched as he shifted his gaze again. The creature was circling him, or at least, that's how it sounded. Golden eyes narrowed. Something was out of place. … And that's when he saw it. A figure was poorly hiding behind a tree no more than a few yards away. Rei could see the coat pressed against the tree trunk, waiting for his guard to drop. Old instincts came back from the days when he used to take out traps and hunters for fun, he smirked.

SHEE

Rei didn't bother to pay attention to those sounds now. They were meant to distract and fool him, but that wouldn't be the case now. He drew out his claws, crouching lower so as not to be seen. This was going to be quick and easy. Only a little more…a few feet…

"Foolish hunter!" Rei lunged for the figure, his sharp nails tearing ten holes through the left sleeve and back of the coat. The only problem was, there was no one in it. Rei blinked, and help it up. It was still warm, and it carried a familiar scent. "…It's almost like--"

SHEE SHEE SHEE

He caught on a little too late. "Oh no!" Before he had time to turn around, someone grabbed the sleeves of the garment, tied Rei into the jacket and held him close, too close to be able to strike. "HEY! Let go of me you--" A moist cloth covered his nose and mouth, pressing strongly against him no matter which way he turned his head. Soon, the smell locked in the fabrics of the cloth began clouding his mind. His vision became blurry and his head felt uncomfortably heavy. "You…uh…" Golden orbs closed, and the boy's head fell to the side as his body went limp. He would have collapsed, if it weren't for the figure holding him up.

The cloth remained for another few seconds, ensuring that the half-breed was knocked out from its intoxicating fumes. "That should be enough for you." It was then tucked away in the person's pocket and Rei was carefully lifted into his arms. With the jacket around him like that, it looked like he was sleeping and being kept warm by it. Since his tail wasn't showing, and raven hair hid his ears, everything appeared normal.

The figure stepped out of the woods and quickly glanced around. No one was around. "Good, no interference." Before he began walking home, he took one last look in the direction that Rei was originally heading in. The person's eyes softened slightly as he lowered his gaze to the unconscious creature. "I'm sorry," His eyes hardened again with a shake of his head. He started back, keeping a firm grasp on the half-breed. The mission was finally over.

(1) It's a familiar house rule. For their own reasons, some families prefer for guests and occupants to wear slippers in the house, either to keep the floor cleaner, or to prevent dust and dirt from tracking in. Tala does this for a reason. If you catch on to the house description, it'll make sense. …But it's not too important. Don't strain and try to figure me out.

SS –I was unsure of my speed here; I pray that it didn't read rushed. _:taps temple: _My head has been subjected to the utmost pain and ridicule lately…no thanks to those accursed SAT exams. A pox on those exams! _:cough:_ But really, I apologize. This chapter (especially the beginning) was being horribly fickle. Nothing seemed to fit the way I wanted. Still, the turn out wasn't…completely ghastly… _:runs to box of Fig Newtons:_

Tym – Er…if and when I pry her away from those, I'll be sure to tell her to finish this. She has been a good girl somewhat. She has written out the ending. Now she just needs to fill in the middle. She wrote up four little idea paragraphs…but you know how she tends to…stretch…things. Enough said.

A big **THANK YOU** to everyone who reviewed _:hug:_ Sometimes I can't believe that people still read this even after she updates about two months later…

**Devlinn Reiko-sama**, ChibiNekoSakura, **Galy**, saFire flamE, **Omili**, MadMaddie, **Da-ku Hisaki**, Angel Spirit, **Tsunami-girl**, Cloudy, **Kitty**, Okami-Jin Puppy of Ice andFire, **Porticulis**, Jade Cyclone, **aishiteru ayu**, Akari Angel, **Endoh Chiaki**, Ilex-Aquifolium, **Shadow Tigress aka Kit**, and ChaosMaiden!

No replies this time. Sorry if you were expecting something answered, but she's just…really stressed out. Oh my goodness, speaking of reviews…we went over 200? _:may a mountain of cookies be at your doorstep…right now:_ All of you readers are kind to take the time to read, and I quote, "This compilation of loosely strung ideas and thoughts." end quote. You're all very much appreciated. I'll see you next chapter (there shall be a surprise!)! Ashes!

_Random things SSG realized in the course of writing this erratic chapter:  
_1. Sometimes, in order to finish a beginning, it's best to start at the end.  
2. I noticed that in some other stories, after two people have just settled/mended things between them and everything looks like it'll be all right, they go and start doubting themselves and each other or they suddenly separate. I used to think this was very irritating, until I realized that I had done it as well.

**ooo** Oh yea, and about that plot bunny...I'm currently writing down bits and pieces and saving them on my computer. I plan on making it my next project (after LL), if it works out all right after I finish most of it. It's second to this, so it shouldn't interefere with my already...unique updating schedule. If anything, I'll put down my thoughts at my bio. Bye!


	17. His own conclusions

SS – Hey everyone! Did I say that I'm sorry yet? (Over **two** months!) Well, I am very sorry, but I'm here and ready to continue! School is out for me and my buddies, so if I'm not out wandering with them (after my vacation), I should be able to concentrate on this little story of mine! Well, that's the idea anyway.

Tym – Wait a minute…didn't I say there would be a surprise? There certainly is! Within a week or two, we're going to upload a companion piece to LL that will contain some KR fluff and still keep within this storyline! Why wait? Well, for one: it'll spread the joy of updates (aren't those rare nowadays?). And two: it's plot is almost parallel to LL, so for those who are easily confused by similar stories, it won't be as dizzying.

In any case, we can worry about that later. Let's get to the chapter right now (Two months…again)!

_Loving Legends  
_Chapter 16 – His own conclusions  
Disclaimer: Please see the prologue or a previous chapter.  
**Note**: We'll be backtracking just a bit. This chapter begins a few minutes before Rei was captured. Enjoy.

Tala trudged down the alleyway and soon crossed over into the streets of Shimpi Village. The sun was setting, and most of the residents were clearing out – most likely back to their homes – so the redhead didn't have to worry about letting his thoughts wander, he probably wouldn't bump into anyone.

'…Maybe he won't be there. Yea, it'd probably be better if he wasn't.' He was referring to Kai of course. His case for keeping the hunter to the agreement was still solid, but he wasn't sure if he could stand seeing what the reaction would be.

'What are you trying to do…what do you need the half-breed for, Kai?'

The wind took a violent swing and turned on Tala, nearly whisking away his charcoal-colored jacket. It was only resting around his shoulders, but now the boy clung to its collar, waiting for the gust to subside.

'Don't tell me even Mother Nature is on that hunter's side.'

Of course, that would be very wishful thinking. The air was calm soon enough, and Tala contemplated putting on the darn thing, if only to prevent him from straying into the Umber Woods. The surprise gale had him taking cover so close to the forest border, he practically disappeared beneath the trees' foliage. He ended up hanging onto the jacket; it wasn't that cold anyway. So he continued on, spying Mr. Black's residence not too far from where he was. From the outside it certainly didn't look like it housed the largest organization for hunters.

"That little cottage could double for a bed and breakfast if it had a new coat of paint." Tala muttered, almost in an attempt to make himself laugh. His spirits were not in the highest of places at that point. Still, he tried to shrug it off. After all, it wasn't very professional or business-like to go into a meeting while still worrying over personal problems. 'Feh, since when did Kai's welfare merit my thinking over anyway?'

It was time to go. Shaking his head, Tala brushed his bangs aside and took short steps away from the woods.

'…'

And then he quickly darted back, pressing against one of the larger trees along the border. Something had caught his peripheral vision the moment he had proceeded to go. Someone was there. At least, Tala figured it to be a some_one_. Though he could have sworn he saw something swish away from the body. A tail?

Quickly observing his surroundings, he weaved past trunk after trunk, careful not to step on anything or let his jacket snag on stray branches. Why was someone walking in and out of the forest? – And heading to the upper part of town no less.

'All right, I'm doing the same thing, but come on, who'd really walk over here? It's late and everyone is going home.' From what Tala could see, it wasn't a hunter. No, never in this part of the woods. Any hunter who was even worth mentioning knew that this was Kai's area to work in. They wouldn't be foolish enough to get on the bad side of someone who possessed a very protective phoenix. The redhead also ruled out any of the leftovers since this person was clearly stealthy and watchful – he hardly made a sound while walking and knew how to conceal his footprints – which, to be truthful, was something "newbies" and amateurs weren't capable of. With all of that gathered, one question came to his mind,

"Who is this guy?" It was barely a whisper, not even qualifying as a breath.

He continued to pursue him, whether it was out of sheer curiosity, or an excuse to not confront Mr. Black just yet, Tala followed. Though he didn't have to go too far. Whoever it was suddenly stopped. That was helpful to the redhead, as it let him catch up a bit. As he made his way forward, he couldn't help noticing just _where_ they were. Rich landowners occupied most of these upscale houses, either them or corporate executives who preferred the quite life of a suburban town like this as opposed to Amidaru. In fact, the only person Tala knew who lived around here and who still worked in Shimpi was Kai.

His body stopped, long, wispy bangs floating out before slowly falling back before wide blue eyes. '…No…' To his knowledge or not, Kai's exceptional mansion of a house was only a little ways away. And it seemed like this person was heading right for it. Tala's eyes narrowed with a stern glare and a light huff. It was impossible. Even if, by some unbelievable stroke of luck, it was the half-breed he was tailing, there was no chance that the creature would risk exposure to come all the way to the blue-haired boy's house. 'How does he even know where Kai lives!' That was proof enough. The boy shook his head, ridding himself of that stoic expression. It was probably some haughty hunter feeling out the new territory. 'Well, he's going to get quite a torching from Dranzer when Kai finds out about this.' Deciding to forget all about his crazy assumption, Tala threw his jacket over his shoulder and prepared to walk out.

"Augh--" He was stuck. "What the…" Looking over his shoulder, Tala could have slapped himself right there. The hem of his jacket had snagged on a low branch when he had so confidently and smugly thrown it just a second ago. Yes, there it was, sway in the light breeze, laughing at him for his action. "Shut up." He muttered to no one in particular as he gave it one or two sharp tugs. It was bound to get ripped in this process. Running a hand through his hair, he turned and headed for the boundary, hoping to see which tree it was connected to so that he could climb it and be rid of this embarrassing situation.

But then, that's when the person caught his eyes again. That's when, despite all of his doubt and reasoning, the person provided bullet-shattering proof that the redhead couldn't ignore. Just then, for a brief moment, the figure he had been following stepped out of the woods' cover to look around, and after getting past the golden color of his eyes and the shining length of his raven-colored hair, Tala noticed something he couldn't believe he hadn't seen before…a pair of green-striped, white fur cat ears.

**ooo**

Lavender eyes gazed up at the old wooden sign above the doorway. It was already half covered in moss and clearly falling a part, but never replaced. He guessed it's the way it's always been. In fact, he couldn't even read the words on it anymore. No one could. Then again, if you didn't know what the place was, you didn't need to bother going in.

_Cling Cling_

He stepped inside, letting the door close on its own with a rickety _thunk_. The place was pretty morbid at first glance. Barely any light sifted through the dusty blinds, the wooden floorboards and furniture strewn about were so dark they appeared to be charred, and the faint smell of smoke pervaded the air. However, he didn't wrinkle his nose or attempt to wave the air around with his hand, this was something he was accustomed to.

"Do you need something?"

Sometimes, there was a helper or two around the front desk either filing, organizing, or running errands. Today it was a young girl in a drab, beige dress. She had just come down from the staircase on the right, holding a pile of papers – most likely progress reports – in her arms.

Leisurely taking off his coat and hanging it on the rack off to the side, the boy nodded and proceeded to the stairs. "I'm just checking in on something," he said casually, never making eye contact with her. And she let him pass. That was how it worked, act too suspicious or reliant on the help and you probably weren't ready or qualified for the second floor.

Upon ascending the last step, the boy turned to his right and walked down the hall. There were one or two other doors, but those weren't for him, he kept straight, reaching for the knob of the door at the end of the floor. He knocked four times, with barely a second between each, turned the knob clockwise, and then reversed direction. It yielded to him, and he entered.

"Ermmm…" A stiff neck lifted an even stiffer head up to meet his guest. Aged, almost tired-looking gray eyes gazed at the figure as he shut the door and waited. This boy knew what he was doing as he kept his vision directed at the desk rather than the man himself. He paused, coughed once and gave a respectable bow.

The older man, closed his eyes, removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. When he nodded, a grumble crawled out of his throat along with his welcoming words, "You've always been so formal, Bryan. What a terrible habit." He got up and walked over to one of his shelves. "What a terrible habit indeed…your current employer must work you to the bone."

The young boy walked over to the desk and brushed some of the dust off of it. "We all have to hold the short end of the stick sometimes." He eyed what the elder was doing and held his hand up. "I'm not here to request anything, it's all right."

Turning with a smirk, the old man coughed a laugh. "Who said I was getting something for you? Actually, I was just digging up your old records…for fun." He had to open a rusty cabinet and scour the folders inside for a few seconds before he pulled out a rather thin file. "Hmph, maybe this won't be too interesting."

"Mr. Black, you don't have to--"

"I want to. Besides, I already have Tala's file on my desk, I mind as well get yours." Bryan moved aside as the old man pulled out his seat and sat down. Actually, he was no older than fifty, maybe early sixty, but after years of hunting – and then the accident – his body wasn't left in the best of conditions. "After all, you two were a team, can't have one without the other." It was then that he looked around in curiosity. "Speaking of the devil himself, where is Tala?"

Sighing, Bryan tapped his fingertips against the wood of the desk. "He's…busy. Listen, Mr. Black, I came here to ask you something--"

"Now I remember why your folder is so thin. You only accomplished thirteen missions under my authority. Then you took a leave but continued helping Tala." He patted the redhead's thick stack of papers. "That boy never really enjoyed a good hunt alone."

Bryan closed his eyes and counted off, it wasn't polite to mouth off to him. "Please, I just need to ask you something about Kai--"

"Ah, yes, my pride and joy…" Though there was definitely sarcasm in his voice, it wasn't complete mockery. He leaned down and pulled one of his drawers open. It seemed like a good portion of it was labeled K.A.I. Yes, he only kept his most skilled hunters' profiles and records in the side drawers of his desk. "Now that boy can hunt! Heh, perfect record…excellent finishing times…reminds me of me, when I still had my youth." He coughed throatily, though when he spoke again, his voice was still rough and broken, almost as if there was gravel in his windpipe. "And what a trademark, that phoenix of his is one first-rate predator--"

"Please, Mr. Black!" Bryan demanded the older man's attention before he went off about how incredible the blue-haired boy was at his job. "Excuse me, but I'm a little pressed for time." His tone resumed its normal presence. "I came to ask if Kai has come here recently, for any reason at all."

Slowly closing the drawer, Mr. Black rested his arms on the table and coughed. He hated being interrupted, but let it slide, if only because Bryan was associated with Tala, and was a normal visitor. "Kai?" His eyes searched the room, as if looking for the answer. "No, no he hasn't been here in quite some time." He picked up his glasses and searched his pocket for his cleaning cloth. "I'd assume he's busy trying to finish Tala's request." A raggedy piece of material was eventually pulled out and he began cleaning his lenses with it.

Turning to the side, Bryan exhaled. That was all he needed to know. He wasn't aware of all the details, but he knew that Tala was not happy about Kai coming here. It was all he talked about when he came home the other day. Now he could ease the redhead's mind just a bit.

"Why?"

"?" Bryan was caught a bit off guard when the question was presented to him. "I'm sorry, what was that?"

Mr. Black glanced up at him and then put of his frames. "I asked, why? Why do you want to know?"

"Oh, just curious to see if he brought any information about the mission." He silently congratulated himself for coming up with that quickly and without a stutter. He hated it when he was put on the spot and ended up stuttering.

"No, he hasn't. It's quite odd really, usually Kai would have informed me of his progress by now." He coughed again. "Quite odd indeed."

'You don't know the half of it…'

RING RING

"Oh," Bryan reached into his back pocket and removed his discreet phone. The message on the small screen was simply a word: Red. '…Tala?' Wondering what the matter could be, the lavender-eyed boy glanced at Mr. Black. "Please excuse me." After seeing a nod, the boy headed out the door and closed it behind him lightly. He flipped the bottom down and pressed the green button. "Yes?"

**ooo  
****Backtracking just a bit…**

Tala held the figure close to his body, careful not to let any part of the jacket fall open. He was surprised at how easy it was to catch the boy…creature. He thought it would have been a bit more difficult. (1)

'I hope he didn't think I was Kai…'

That would have been quite the situation. Thankfully, the drug would keep him unconscious long enough for him to call for a van to pick them up. Part of him still couldn't believe it. This was the half-breed! This was what had caused so much trouble for him and Bryan for the past few weeks. One creature…one boy…

Ice blue eyes grazed over the calm face. Save for the ears, he appeared normal. He could have been just a regular boy in the crowd given the right cover, and he probably acted like any other person. He certainly seemed that way when he was trailing him not too long ago. Could it be, that his personality – his attitude…was it just as unique as any other human? He then must feel the same sensations and emotions that Tala would. The two of them, maybe they weren't too different…maybe to the point that, someone – who wasn't aware of the ears and tail – could have been friends with him. Even more than that, someone could actually…

'Is this what happened to you, Kai? Did you start wondering? Could you have started to…' he pulled back, bringing his eyes back on the road ahead of him. 'Is that why you tried to keep him away from me?'

Sooner than he thought, Tala had reached Bryan's home. There was no time to question, he had to get them both inside and call for that van.

'I guess it doesn't matter anyway. It's all done now.' He quickly kicked off his shoes and laid the creature down on the couch. His gaze only lingered for a moment before he reached for the phone…however…

"Damn, I forgot." His previous actions had in fact damaged the phone's base unit and left a terrible new ring tone as thanks. Setting it back down on the cracked base, Tala pulled out his mobile phone instead. There wasn't any time to waste.

"Yes?"

"Sir, you can send over a van now."

"My, my, that was certainly fast. Am I to assume it'll be you and Bryan that I am picking up, or just--"

"I have the creature, sir. There's no need to involve either myself or Bryan in this."

"…"

"…Sir?"

"Tala, I don't think I need to remind you not to interrupt me in the future, do I?"

Quickly catching the harsh undertone, the redhead picked himself back up. "N-No, sir! My apologies--"

"Don't apologize. There's no time for that. Just don't let it happen again, understood?"

His breathing nearly hitched. "Yes, sir!"

"Good. Now, is it just the one?"

Taking another reassuring look at the peaceful boy on the couch, Tala nodded. "Yes, sir. I could only confirm one so that is all that I have."

"Well, one's enough then. Excellent work."

"Thank you, sir."

"I will send over the van right after I call Johnny."

The alien name struck Tala. "J-Johnny! Sir, what do you need him for--"

"Are you questioning me, Tala?"

The redhead closed his eyes tightly, biting himself for his mistake. "No, sir. I was merely curious."

"…"

"…" He had hoped that would be enough.

"We'll be needing the corresponding creature for the one you have, as well as some…targets to test out the product's true strength." His voice was slightly amused, though it certainly didn't seem like a good thing.

"I see."

"In any case, I won't trouble you with frivolities like that. Your part of the mission, as well as Bryan's, is accomplished as far as I'm concerned. Just make sure the creature gets to me in one piece."

"I will personally see to it, sir."

"As I expected. Well then, I will see you soon, Tala." The line went dead, and the boy retained his grip on the cellular momentarily before ending whispering his reply:

"Yes…see you soon, Boris."

He closed his phone and pocketed it carefully before falling onto the opposing chair. Replaying the end of the call in his mind, Tala could only shiver at the thought of having to "test" the product against targets, which would probably be other mythical creatures. His gaze fell upon the other and it softened considerably. He was just a child, no older than Tala. Would he be able to endure them? He knew what those "tests" would consist of. The redhead wasn't around when the original experiments were done, but he'd seen the video notes, and the horrifying expressions…desperate screams that were never heard…the walls of the testing room, he presumed, were still drenched in the blood of…the products…

Tala buried his head in his hands, resting his elbows on his knees. He thought it would never happen to him or Bryan, so they joined, if only for the money and the thrill. Though, that was a while ago, that was before Boris had heard the rumors – half human-half animal beings roaming throughout the Umber Woods – that's when things took a nasty turn. Suddenly, it was either digging up enough of their old hunting skills to find these creatures, or be the first humans to undergo the experiment since the first explosion on that stormy night…

"We're safe now…" he whispered to himself, trying to calm down. "Bryan and I…we're safe." Standing, he pulled out his phone again, he'd have to call Bryan and tell him the good news. The news that they were…ok…

He pressed the speed-dial, not that he didn't already know the other's number by heart, but he surmised that he wouldn't be able to press the right buttons otherwise. Tala found himself staring at the half-breed again. He even went as far as gently pushing stray locks of raven-colored hair aside, away from his face. Did he have a name? Yes, he probably did. Did it matter now?

"No, it probably doesn't…"

**ooo  
****Back on track now**

"Yes?"

Resuming his composure, Tala coughed and spoke. "Bryan, I've got him."

He raised a brow. "Got who, Tala?"

"The creature, the half-breed." He corrected himself, feeling the need to. "He's here at the house. I just called Boris. He's sending a van over to get him right now."

Lavender eyes lit up slightly. That was certainly good news. "Really? So Kai finally came through?"

Giving the floor a hard stare, the redhead regretfully nodded. "Yea, he came through all right…" It wasn't completely untrue. After all, it if hadn't been for the blue-haired hunter and his visit earlier, Tala never would have gone out and stumbled upon the boy. "Anyway, where are you?"

"I'm with Mr. Black."

Tala blinked. "…Mr. Black?" He echoed.

"Yea. Listen, how about I come back to get the money for him and Kai while you see the creature off? Or, are you going to stay with him during transport to the factory? That might be a better choice." His voice was neutral as usual, but inside the fireworks were going off. This was the break they were hoping for.

Rubbing his forehead with the palm of his hand, Tala shrugged. "Uh, yea…ok. Eh, I'll probably be gone by the time you get here, but…you can call me. I won't stay there long." He paused, the question gnawing at the back of his mind. "By the way, is Kai there?"

"…In the office? No." That was odd, if Tala just got the creature… "Isn't he there with you?"

Realizing his second mistake, he was about to make up for it, until a rather alarming honking noise broke his train of thought. Tala placed his hand over the receiver and looked out the window. It was the van, or rather, a very 'inconspicuous' truck. "Never mind. The van is here for the half-breed. The money is in the first drawer of the dresser in our room. It should be in a mahogany box." Damn it. The color was automatically associated with… "I-I'll give you a call if anything important happens." He hung up quickly. There were fewer questions that way.

Bryan barely had time to mutter a "Got it." Before the ring tone caused him to pull away. He assumed the driver had been demanding, and left it at that. Boris' men were all like that. Grabbing the knob, he opened the door and presented himself to Mr. Black with a smirk.

"Bryan," the gruff voice called out.

"Mr. Black, you'll be happy to hear that the job has finally been accomplished. Kai just delivered the creature to Tala."

The older man nodded. "Ah, good, good. Didn't I tell you that Kai was excellent?"

Suppressing the urge to laugh, the boy merely nodded. "Please get the contract prepared. I'm heading back to the house to get the money since Tala will be seeing the creature back to our superior."

"Very well. I will see you shortly then." He scribbled something down and tore it out of the packet. "Give this to my helper downstairs, she'll know what to do with it." He then opened one of the top drawers and took searched for the specific paper. "It is a girl today, correct?"

It just killed him. The old man hired these people to help and he didn't even know who it was that was helping keep this place running smoothly. "Sure." Taking the paper, Bryan barely glanced at it. "And yes, it's a girl."

He continued searching for the right document. "Good, good."

Shaking his head, Bryan saw himself out and headed down the hall and down the stairs. His mood certainly improved. They were safe now. And he knew that Tala had been very worried about that as of late.

"Finished?" The young girl walked back from one of the cabinets, meeting Bryan as he reached the last step.

"Yes," he the handed her the slip of paper. "Mr. Black said that you'd know what to do with this."

She took it lightly, skimmed it, and then smiled. "Ah, yes, thank you." She made her way to the front desk and began inputting the data on the computer. "Just a moment." And so she continued typing while Bryan backed away to the side, hopefully it wouldn't be much longer.

**ooo**

Kai slipped into his shoes, and then readjusted his scarf before reaching for the handle of the door. Dranzer flew to his shoulder that second. She had been urging him to get out of the house and over to Mr. Black's office for the past day or two and she had finally succeeded. She knew that he wanted to put off deciding what to do regarding Rei and it wasn't very productive. Of course, she had her own opinion of the matter, but she didn't tell him. It was his choice, she was just helping him get out there and make it.

At least he knew where he was going. Dranzer knew that he was prone to daydreaming lately – just looking out into anything that could catch his attention for a minute or two and take his mind off of this choice – and it wouldn't be good if Kai just happened to collide with something along the way. She was worried about him, very worried. But despite the chirps she'd whistle and the bit of pressure she exerted on his shoulder, he'd remain unresponsive. It was a quiet walk to the office.

'Dranzer worries too much. She doesn't have to, I've already decided.' His right hand fingered something in his pocket. 'I guess I just needed a push. It was so hard to leave the house though, ' he exhaled slowly; it was actually a fair-weather day. He smirked. 'With Tyson at Kenny's house…I could have stayed at home all day…'

**ooo**

Tala helped the associate load up the half-breed into the back of the van. (2) The door closed with a rather loud clank, and he was handed the key. Grasping it firmly, the redhead inserted it into the lock and turned it clockwise. It was done. Releasing the breath he was unaware of, Tala patted the thick door. There was no escape now.

"Will you be coming along, Mr. Ivanov?"

Giving the man a curt nod, he headed towards the front of the vehicle. "Yes, I think I will." Climbing into the front seat, the redhead placed the key in his pocket and waited for the other to get in and take his place at the wheel. The heavy truck started with a cough of smoke from the tail pipe, and it steadily began its journey back to the base. It was a bumpy road, but none of the intrusions seemed to be enough to wake the still slumbering half-breed.

Tala kept his face forward, eyes on the path, though certainly not thinking about it. Something else was on his mind. He closed his eyes. 'It's not right…' he knew it wasn't, but that didn't mean he was going to trade places with the boy. That wouldn't be right either. A silent sigh escaped his lips. 'What have I gotten myself into?'

**ooo**

Bryan was contemplating leaving at this point. The girl was still at the front desk, working her fingers away at the keyboard and he was still standing there, looking like a regular idiot. He should have gotten a look at the paper Mr. Black had given him. Maybe then he'd know if this was important or not.

'Can I leave?'

She had told him to 'wait just a moment,' but he really wasn't one to wait without a reason why. However, since it concerned the mission and it's closing, it was worth it.

She paused for a second, the singular click-clack sound of her fingertips striking the keys suddenly brought to a stand still. "Excuse me," she began in a business-like tone. "But this is taking a bit longer than I had expected. You may leave if you wish." The typing continued.

'Now she tells me.' Kicking off of the wall he was leaning against, Bryan nodded as he went for his coat. "Fine. I'll be back soon anyway to give Mr. Black the money."

"Oh, why didn't you say so? You didn't need to stay if you were coming back." She mentioned a-matter-of-factly, not even bothering to stop her work.

Suppressing a temper reaction, he just put his jacket on and mumbled something under his breath about common courtesy and common sense and where it had gone. "Right." Reaching for the door, he was mildly surprised when the handle turned and the door opened on it's own. Looking up to see who the person was certainly gave him a bigger shock. "…Kai."

Sure enough, the blue-haired boy and his phoenix met his gaze and held it briefly before walking in with a brief greeting of, "Bryan." With no coat to speak of, Kai brushed right past the rack and headed for the staircase, letting his scarf flow behind him. Not even the girl asked for the nature of his visit. His reputation was answer enough.

"Hey, Kai," Bryan called out to him, though under any other circumstances, he probably wouldn't have. When the other merely glanced over his shoulder, the lavender-eye boy continued. "Good work finally capturing the half-breed for us."

He stopped. His foot hadn't even reached the second step, but Kai just froze.

Bryan smirked. "I was getting a bit worried about you really," he walked across the threshold. "But I suppose it was unnecessary since you are Kai Hiwatari." He laughed, playing off what Mr. Black had told him earlier. "Stick around, I'll be back in a minute with your bounty." The only sounds after that were of the door closing and the keys clacking. Kai was in such a shock his breathing wasn't even heard. Even Dranzer was somewhat in a trance. She didn't need to be psychic to understand what had just happened.

"…Kai…Master Kai, w-we aren't sure." She reasoned with him, trying to pull a reaction from him. "Master Kai, let's go to Mr. Black. He will be able to confirm everything for us! Master Kai!"

"Excuse me, Mr. Hiwatari." The helper called out from behind her desk.

Kai barely managed to turn to her. His eyes were glazed over, an expression crossing his face that would have made any deer caught in the headlights jealous.

"Some of the other businessmen here will not appreciate the noise your phoenix is generating. Will you please handle it?" Without waiting for a response, she went back to work.

Dranzer quirked her head, unaware of what the girl had said. Still, she continued her words. She tried to break the boy of the spell he was apparently under. "…Master Kai, please--"

He placed a hand over her beak, muzzling her to the best of his abilities as he hurried up the rest of the stairs.

The girl barely glanced around. "Thank you."

**ooo**

Once Kai hobbled over the last step, he practically fell against the adjacent wall as if he'd just ran through hell and back just to get to that spot. His hand eventually slipped off of the phoenix's mouth, ungracefully taking its place at his side once again.

Dranzer was hesitant now. His action had been so abrupt; he didn't even try whistling to her to be quiet. Her next lines were spoken just loud enough for him to hear, "Master Kai?" She looked ahead. Having come here many times before, she knew that Mr. Black's office was right down the hall, no more than a few yards away. He'd be able to confirm or deny this. After all, Bryan could have been joking. "Please, let's go to the office. It's not that far." The firebird nudged the side of Kai's head. "Please, Master Kai…"

Crimson eyes strayed from their spot on the floor to the door straight ahead of them. It really wasn't too far. Too bad he wasn't even thinking about it. When he gazed in that direction, the twin lights on either side of the door was all he noticed, that and what it reminded him of.

'…Rei…'  
_The raven-haired youth turned towards the person he had connected with. "I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going." He stood up slowly and dusted himself off while the other merely shrugged it off._

_Kai ran a hand through his hair as he glanced at whom he had bumped into. "It's…" That's when the hunter got a good look at the boy's radiant, curious golden eyes; they were…amazing. "…ok."_

He blinked. The thoughts that ran through his head the first time he saw the boy were still vivid and sharp…warming even. However, 'Bryan…what he said couldn't be right,' What if he never got to see those eyes again? 'Still, when was the last time that stick in the mud cracked a joke?'

Kai shook his head and took a real look at his surroundings. His feet (and Dranzer) had brought him here, and now he had another reason to go to the office. Fisting his hands at his side, he began walking towards the last door at the end of the hall.  
_Golden eyes caught on and lit up. For the first time since this whole situation began, Rei smiled. It was pure, true. "Well…all the same, you'd better take your time. I'll see you when I see you."_

_Kai matched his grin. "Yea, sure."_

'It won't be the last time…' his hand reached out and snatched the knob. 'Even if it is true,' the hunter practically ripped the door aside, meeting the unusual gaze of his proprietor sitting a little ways from him. 'Rei, I'm coming soon.' He crossed the threshold, now resuming the predatory stride he was well accustomed to.

"…Kai." Mr. Black stood up while he straightened out the papers he was holding. "What a surprise. You hardly ever come down here unless by my request." Grabbing a small wooden object near him, he dabbed it in a pad of ink and stamped the top paper of the pile. That did not appeal to Kai at all. The stamp had Mr. Black's seal on it, which could only mean that he was confirming the closing of a…

"Bryan just stopped by. He told me of your latest accomplishment. Did you happen to see him on your way in?"

…a contract.

"Yes, I greeted him on his way out. He said he'd be coming back soon." The hunter surprised himself with his collected tone just then. Even Dranzer couldn't help but acknowledge the boy's gift for neutrality and detachment in emotional situations…though it was in disappointment, not approval.

"Yes, yes, very good." He placed the stamp back on the desk, swiveled the papers around and picked up a pen. "While we wait for him, why don't you give me your John Hancock right here?" Mr. Black tapped the sheet with the cap of the pen. "Though, this should be second-nature to you by now." He added with a bit of mirth. (3)

Kai however, didn't seem to catch the amusement. He stayed situated between the two chairs in front of the desk, casting the contract a rather poisonous glare.

"Kai?" Mr. Black coughed, covering his mouth in the fold of his sleeve. "What's wrong with you? Let's get that signature." This time, he laid the pen down and took a seat, his interest in the boy's coma-like status increasing.

'…Bryan was right. Rei's…' he bit back any kind of response his body wanted to give off from the news. 'But how? He's safe in his area of the Umber Woods. How could he be captured! I'm the only human who knows the way in!' A touch of anger burned through the venom in his eyes. 'Rei. Did you cross over? Could you have…you weren't worried about me were you?'

"Kai."

"!"

The man's firm formation of his name brought him out of his thoughts. Mr. Black was starring him down, honing in on the blue-haired boy's troubled mahogany eyes over the rim of his thinly framed glasses. "What is the matter?" Each word was enunciated carefully, slowly. "Have you lost your ability to walk?" His hand swept over the contract. "Your signature, please."

Kai's hand twitched; he strode over to the desk like a nail to a magnet. It was mostly out of habit, so despite what he was feeling, the hunter picked up the fountain pen with ease and let it guide his hand to the bottom of the document. At the point, the older man nodded and went back to the other papers that required his attention, confident that Kai's episode (or whatever it was) was over and business was once again business. However, had he kept a closer eye on the boy, he'd see that nothing was happening. The pen never touched the scratchy surface of the contract.

'…You did cross over. That's the only explanation. Bryan – no, Tala…did he find you?' His grip on the pen tightened. 'Were you careless again, Rei? You were! You must have been to have let…' Kai closed his eyes tightly, ignoring the brushing of Dranzer's feathers against his skin. "…Damn it." He muttered.

Gingerly lifting his head up, Mr. Black eyed the boy momentarily. "Excuse me?"

Shaking his head, the confused hunter slammed the pen down against the table with an enraged shout, "Damn it!"

The other stood up as quickly as he could, pushing his chair back in the process. "Kai, what is wrong with you?" He moved to confront the boy, but instead met a terribly irritated phoenix. "S-Stop it!" Dranzer swarmed him, determined to give Kai his space. "Kai, calm this creature down this instant!"

The little squabble fell short of the blue-haired boy's attention. No, he was still glaring at the penunder his hand and the contract on the desk…the diminutive compilation of letters on paper that caused so much trouble for him.

"I didn't go through all this…just to let him get caught like that." His words were spoken in an acceptable volume; thankfully, Dranzer's caws and squawks were at a higher decibel. "All of the planning and work I put into this…it's just not right." A shadow of vengeance colored his blood red eyes. "I amthe only one who has the right to catch Rei." Lifting his hand away from the pen, Kai carefully picked up the first page of the contract, held it gently between his forefingers and –

SSSHHHHHHHHRP

Scored the useless piece of tree mulch without a second thought.

That, of course, got both Mr. Black, and Dranzer's attention.

"Kai! What in the world do you think you're doing!" He asked outright, his tone resembling that of a father's when scolding his child.

As Kai turned to face him Dranzer was greatly relieved to see that his facial expression had finally returned to normal. Eyes were slightly narrowed, brows weren't the least bit furrowed, and a confident smirk graced pale lips, this was something she hadn't seen in quite some time… "I'm just doing what I feel like doing." Charily placing the pieces on top of the others, Kai picked up the pen once again. "You'll forgive my rude behavior, but I've suddenly realized that I have some place I need to be." Removing the cap with his teeth, he held the pen vertically and, with one elegant stroke, speared the tipthrough the pile of papers.

He swore he saw Dranzer grin…if it were possible that is.

Taking the cap from his mouth, Kai capped it on the other end of the pen and turned around, now facing the exit. "I've got…to be with someone." Striding to the door, it almost opened for him, only halting his movement for a split second. Then he did something that really confirmed his return to his old self to the phoenix, he whistled for her.

"Master Kai!" She happily flew from her spot facing off against Mr. Black to the blue-haired hunter's side, chirping her gratitude that he had finally gotten his act together.

He waved her chirps away, a serious mask sweeping his once calm face. "I never thought things would play out like this, but now that they have…" he shook his head. "We'll have to act fast and hope that we're lucky enough to find what we need before Rei's unreachable." He gritted his teeth. "We'll start with Kenny."

Dranzer almost lost her wind, nearly falling from her flight. "Kenny?" Neither of them had seen much of the little brunet as of late, what with everything that's been happening. And with Rei's immediate health on the line, why go to him of all people? "Why him, Master Kai?"

Rounding the corner and practically soaring down the stairs, he quickly answered: "We're going to need some information."

"Information?" She still didn't understand. "Shouldn't we corner Bryan and ask him then?" The two of them hurried past the girl at the front desk and out the door, not that she would have bothered to say anything to them otherwise.

"He would never answer that. Besides, it's too suspicious." He motioned for her to follow him down a different path, away from the main street of the village. There was less chance of running into said lavender-eyed boy now. "Kenny will know," he reasoned, taking another turn and almost losing Dranzer in the process. "And he'll know not to get involved."

"If you say so, Master Kai." She stayed a hair behind him, cautious not to get tangled in his scarf. 'Can he really handle this on his own?' She was never one to really question him, but this could get messy. 'He'll need help.' As much as the phoenix hated to go against him, she rather do that than have him end up in a dangerous position all alone. Giving her wings a stuttering flap, she bolted up and turned, heading off in a new direction.

Noticing the loss of heat, Kai glanced over his shoulder, finally breaking his stride. "Dranz?" She was already a good distance away, feigning ignorance. "Dranzer!" He called again, but she didn't heed him. "What?" It was an odd sensation. She hardly ever disobeyed him. It was a good thing he knew at least one way to gain her full attention. Brining two fingers to his lips, he gave two sharp whistles, demanding her direct obedience.

Yielding to an old habit, she broke off her path and mildly turned around. A hard gaze fell upon her, and she didn't shy away from it. Complying, if only for a bit, she neared.

Not wanting the whole village to hear his message, he shortened it to something she would still understand. "Why?" It wasn't much of a question from the tone of his voice.

"You're going to need help." She dare not see the look on his face after hearing that. You didn't need to know Kai long to know that he didn't want to accept help unless it was a matter of certain life or death. "I'll find the location and meet you there!" There wasn't much Kai could do about that. He let her fly away. Though, he probably would have gone after her, order her to return to his side and stay there if he had the time of day. However, since this wasn't the case, he had to let her go and continue to Kenny's house. It wasn't much further.

'Why is Dranzer doing this? She doesn't how much I hate help. It's already bad enough that I'm going to Kenny – _Kenny_ – of all people for assistance.' There, up ahead, he could already see the brown and beige door. 'And I bet I know who she's going to ask…' he shuddered at the thought. At that point, Kai wasn't sure if he was more worried about what was going to happen to Rei, or what was going to happen to him if something happened to Rei.

**ooo**

"Sorry about that, Emily." Kenny waited for the girl to scoot over so that he could take his place on the sofa again. "Di – I mean, Deliah isn't feeling well." He sighed and slumped into the cushions. "I don't understand it, she was fine this morning." (4)

"Well, some of the students in my class are coming down with something too, maybe it's influenza season again."

'Heh, yea right. Like a mythical creature can catch that.' He shrugged and picked up his cup of cocoa. "Uh, maybe, yea." The aroma calmed him some, and he took a good sip. "Anyway, I gave her some tea and another blanket. She was shivering."

"I see. Then it must be the flu. Hopefully she doesn't have a fever."

Placing the mug back on the coffee table, he sat up and nodded to her. "Let's hope. Oh, but now we're getting sidetracked." He tried to redirect the conversation back to the original topic that she had brought up a little while ago. "So, you were telling me more about your trip to Amidaru?"

"Ah, yes." She smiled. "We were on out way out of the university when Robert pointed out a rather unusual house near the river." The orange-haired girl picked up her own cup, holding it between her hands, reveling in its warmth before taking a sip.

"Really? What was so unusual about it?"

"He said that no one has lived there for almost a decade. A wealthy family used to call it home, but then the parents mysteriously died, leaving the child alone." She paused, letting the steam from the drink slowly evaporate off of her glasses. "Shortly after, Robert said that the child disappeared as well."

"Boy…t-that's kind of eerie."

"And since then no one has even gone in to check its condition for selling. Everyone's afraid that it might be haunted." Leaning back into the cushions, she closed her eyes and smiled. "Of course, I don't believe in all of that stuff. It sounds like a silly ghost story." Drawing her knees up, Emily shrugged. "I wanted to go in and check it out myself, but Robert said that the town had sectioned it off. No one's allowed inside."

Kenny practically shivered. "Well that's good! What if it really is haunted?" He fought off the quiver tugging at his lips. "Besides, it'd be disrespectful to the owners! I mean, what if that little boy happened to come back? You'd be intruding."

A soft laugh echoed through the house. "Oh come on Kenny, be realistic." Emily said, putting her mug back on the table. "If he hasn't returned in ten years then he isn't coming back at all." She kept the ends of her laughter to herself, seeing how it bothered the other. "Anyway, Robert said that that was all he knew. There wasn't much information about it really," Pushing herself forward, she continued. "Some say it could even be a legend – nothing more than a story to attract people to the town." She concluded in a matter-of-factly tone. From the sound of it, that topic was over, and that was a good thing to Kenny.

"Yea…sure…" he slumped, uncomfortable with the discussion.

Pursing her lips together, Emily decided to change the subject to something completely different. "Say, do you think it was a good idea to let Tyson watch over Deliah? I mean, I could do it instead."

"It's all right, Emily. Mm, Deliah knows Tyson a bit better, so it should be ok." It was the best idea; after all, he had never seen Dizzi sick before. What if something weird happened because she was a mythical creature? It was already hard explaining why she had to stay with them; Kenny wasn't sure if he could manage telling Emily why the room suddenly exploded with fairy dust or whatnot.

He brought his cup up to his mouth. 'Yup, better leave that to Tyson.'

**ooo**

"Hm…" Sighing, Tyson wrung out the cloth over the small basin on the table and placed the soft material on Dizzi's forehead again. She was still flushed, but it wasn't from the blankets. "What happened to you?" He mumbled, brushing back some of her pale blonde hair from her face. She wasn't asleep, but was coming in and out of consciousness every minute or so. It definitely worried the boy.

"…Tyson?"

He managed a smile, patting her shoulder. "It's all right, Diz. Just go to sleep, ok? That's how we get better faster."

"But…I'm not a h-human." She let her eyes flutter open, straining to see the other, who was sitting on a chair next to her bedside. "Where's Kenny?"

Tyson frowned. Her voice was so strained… "Downstairs talking to Emily." He pulled up the comforter, making sure that it covered most of her upper body. "Maybe you should take some medicine."

She shook her head, causing the little towel to fall. "No, that's not for me. Human medicine…it won't help me at all."

"All right." Picking up the towel, he set it near the basin. It didn't appear to be doing its job anyway. All it did was mat strands of hair to her forehead. "You know," he rested against the back of the chair. "I didn't even know that mythical creatures could get sick. Or, at least get sick like we do." Crossing his arms, the boy pondered over it. "I mean, you look like you have a fever or something…"

Taking deep breaths, Dizzi turned her head back to the middle of the pillow, closing her eyes briefly. "There must be a reason." She exhaled. "Spirits like me, we're more tuned to the earth, even more so than the animals since we take care of nature." A pause. "Something important must be happening, or…maybe about to happen…"

"Ok, I guess that makes sense…but, is that something going to be good or bad?" Silence answered him. He blinked and peered over at the girl. "Dizzi?"

She had fallen asleep once again. This time, her chest seemed to be rising and falling at a fair rate, it was a good sign. At least her breathing wasn't labored like it was in the beginning. Reaching towards the table, he took the cloth again, dipped it into the cool water, and patted it dry just enough to prevent dripping. He placed it back where it was. This time his smile wasn't forced.

CLLINNN – CRRRUNK

Whipping his head around, Tyson steadied himself, nearly falling from the sudden noise downstairs. "What the heck!"

**ooo**

"K-Kai?" Both Kenny and Emily stood at the blue-haired boy's sudden and obtrusive entrance. It wasn't like him to make such a noisy appearance, and even less likely for him to be seen without Dranzer right behind him.

"Kai, shhh!" The brunet pointed to upwards. "Di – Deliah's not feeling well! Try to keep it down--"

"No time for that, Chief." He pointedly looked at the laptop next to the cup of cocoa on the table and then lifted his gaze to catch the younger boy's. "I need to speak with you privately, now." Tossing his scarf behind him, the hunter quickly made his way to the back of the house, probably to kitchen.

"E-Er…ok." Kenny rarely saw the other in this kind of frenzy; it must be important. Picking up the sleek, black item, he turned towards Emily and nodded a bit. "I'm sorry about this, Emily, but this seems pretty urgent. Can you just wait a bit?"

"Well, I guess, but--"

"That's great, thanks!" He hurried off after the blue-haired boy, barely catching his friend's curious stare. 'What could be the matter? Kai's never this pushy—well, there was the time…'

"Kenny."

"O-Oh, yes!" Caught up in his own thoughts, he hadn't even noticed that he had pretty much passed the kitchen altogether. Backtracking just a bit, he practically tripped in, letting the swinging door block off intrusions. "Sorry about that." He walked up to Kai, vaguely noting that he was staring at the clock. Shaking it off, he set his laptop on the counter and opened it, ready to work. "So, what's all this about? You hardly ever barge in like--"

"Factories."

"Uh, what?" The word had been so sudden and unexpected that Kenny wasn't even sure if that was what Kai had said. Thankfully, the hunter didn't seem to mind repeating it without getting frustrated.

"Factories, abandoned ones most likely." His gaze was still held by the clock, the ticking of the second hand most intriguing.

"Er…ok." Hearing the beeping noise confirmed that the machine was wide-awake and ready to comply; however, the boy was still hesitant about typing in the word of choice. "What about factories…abandoned factories most likely?"

"I need the location of the closest one, now." Even though his tone had been deadly calm, Kenny knew there was more to it. Still, he typed in the appropriate words and specifications, making sure that his fingers continued to move and produce the _click_ sound so that he looked busy.

'What in the world does Kai need this information for? Shouldn't he be more concerned about finding that creature that Tala asked of him? Or if he's still trying his other plan with Rei…shouldn't he be off doing that?' The main page popped onto his screen, so he continued the search. 'What in the world does old factories have to do with any of this?' Finally something useful made its appearance. The description was right, and there was even a map, but the location…wasn't that where…?

"Um…here, I think this is what you're looking for." Stepping aside, Kenny carefully watched as Kai turned his attention to the digital screen, crimson eyes scanning over the data and narrowing when the information was absorbed and analyzed. The minute he was finished, Kai took hold of the hit the escape key – alarming Kenny – and turned the machine off, darting out of the kitchen soon after with a whisper of a 'thanks' as the brunet's only form of compensation. This was truly perplexing.

"Kai?" Eyeing the laptop, the younger boy grabbed it possessively and followed after him once again. "Kai! Hey, wait a minute!" Zooming out of the room, he virtually skidded across the hard wood floor near the main door, only to find Tyson trying to get answers out of a, by now, very vexed Kai.

"What do you mean 'it's none of my business?' You expect me to ignore the first, and probably only time you ever freak out?"

Drilling an intimidating glare into the other's person, Kai attempted to 'reason' with his roommate again. "I am not freaking out. I'm in a hurry. So get out of my way." Forcefully removing the roadblock, the hunter wasn't all too surprised when Tyson grasped the hand that just shoved his aside.

"Yes you are. I can see it behind this act. You are completely twisted about something."

"Twisted?" Doing just as he said, the older blue-haired boy painfully coiled Tyson's arm – effectively freeing himself – and then pushed his backwards, right into Kenny's flabbergasted frame.

Unable to stand the intrusion, Emily nearly stomped over to demand an answer for this behavior. "Kai, what do you think you're--"

"Don't get yourself involved too, Emily." He pivoted and disappeared out the front door almost as quickly, though not as loudly, as he had first entered. "And don't any of you dare follow me." It was thought to be a given, but with that audience, it never hurt to take the precaution. They loved to follow.

Holding in a growl of annoyance and disbelief, Emily turned her attention to the boys, who were helping each other up. "Tyson, Kenny, are you two ok?"

Picking up his hat and dusting it off, Tyson gritted his teeth and nodded. "Yea, I'm ok. It's just…" he rubbed his arm. "What is that guy's deal! He's even more uptight than usual."

Giving the whole situation a wonder, the orange-haired girl motioned to Kenny. "Kenny, what did he say to you? Back there, what did he talk to you about?"

"He didn't really talk about anything." Glancing down at his laptop, he shook his head. "He just wanted me to find the location of the nearest factory…an abandoned factory."

"A factory?" Tyson echoed. "What the heck does he need to know that for?"

Catching the brunet's gaze, Emily backed up a tad, trying to make sense of the thought that just occurred to her. "Why…why would he need to go there?"

Getting the feeling that he was out of the loop, Tyson voiced his question clearly. "Go where? What are you two thinking?"

"When I put in the search, the closest factory of any kind that showed up according to the specifications," he paused, wondering why on earth Kai was going there. "Was the one that exploded ten years ago."

**ooo**

Kai stayed off to the side, close to the edge of the forest boundary. He didn't want to be seen, but still had to be within range in case Dranzer came back to him with…help. He knew where he wanted to go, but wasn't quite sure of the way. The directions from Kenny's map weren't too clear, or all that reliable since it was fairly old. He doubted anyone needed to go there for years now, well excluding Tala and his proprietor of course.

'I remember him talking about his boss's whereabouts once. It was just after we made the deal…'

_Kai pulled back, a little incredulous of the redhead's response. "He works where?" _

_Tala didn't even try to suppress his laugh. "Never mind, it doesn't matter. Besides, since when were you so inquisitive?"_

_Mahogany eyes tried to see past the humor etched across the other's face. "I'm not. It's business."_

_"If I recall correctly, it was never mandatory for the employee to know where my boss does his work." He stood up, ready to leave. "All you need to worry about is getting me those creatures." _

_Kai remained seated. "Don't worry about that, you'll get what you asked for." He raised his head. "However, seeing as I do have a lot of other jobs to do, I could just put this one on hold," the hunter smirked. "Yours is quite a special request after all…"_

_Though he didn't say anything right away, Kai could see that Tala was unnerved as his grip on the top of the chair tightened considerably. "It's just an old factory." He growled._

_"…A factory?"_

_He shrugged. "Don't ask me why, he just told me that it holds valuable information, so it's the appropriate place." Glancing back at the other, the redhead narrowed his apparent glare. "There, is that good enough for you?"_

_"…" Closing his eyes, Kai kept his arms crossed and stood up, ready to walk away. "I suppose." His destination was in the opposite direction; he started walking away. _

_"I swear I don't know why I ever got acquainted with you." The blue-eyed youth muttered, taking his leave as well. _

_"Same here." Came the almost inaudible response, which was fine. The next time they met, he hoped, would most likely be their last._

Of course, that wasn't how things ended up.

'Never thought I'd be doing this…' he eyed the road ahead of him, slightly moss covered and darkening with each passing step. It was leading him at least halfway to Amidaru, almost parallel to the train tracks connecting the two towns.

'Going against Tala, possibly destroying my relations with Mr. Black, questioning myself,' the wind picked up, attempting to slow him down, but merely causing his scarf to furrow noisily behind him. He wasn't going back.

Reaching into his pocket again, Kai pulled out the item he had fingered earlier. It was still clean (oddly enough, he had washed it), and still reminded him of one person. 'I'm doing this for you, Rei,'

A droplet of rain pelted his bangs, trailing down until it fell onto his cheek. It wasn't long before the chilling torrent followed. "Damn." Giving his head a shake, Kai gripped the material and deftly tied it around his wrist. Perhaps it would better remind him of why he was doing this if the cloth was always in view. Breaking off into a sprint, the hunter took off, soon losing sight of the railway as his path diverged into the forest. 'You'd better still be alive by the time I get there.'

The tail of his scarf disappeared as the storm began to reach its full potential. Any passerby didn't have to know the recent happenings of the village to know that the night wouldn't be a very good one.

1. The majority thought that Kai was the one who captured Rei…that certainly surprised me…  
2. All of Boris' men are just associates. It's much easier that way and it shows something about how he views his employees.  
3. When someone asks for your "John Hancock," they're asking for your signature. Not too many people will tell you that anymore though...  
4. In chapter eight, Dizzi was introduced to Emily as Deliah, a friend of Kenny's from the university.

SS – I had hoped to fit more of the general plot in this one but…it came out unusually short time wise. Actually, this whole story happens in a short time span…goodness… Maybe it reads a bit fast, I hate it when I do that. I hope that wasn't the case! And I apologize for grammar mishaps and, once again, for the lateness of this update.

On a more personal note, I'm hop-skip-jumping to Europe for two weeks with my family. _:big big big grin:_ Obviously there won't be an update (like I ever upload another chapter within two weeks of the previous), but there will be a lot of bus time since it's a tour. What can I do during a long bus ride (not to mention the plane ride over there – we're talking a total of 14 hours!)? – Write! I'll definitely give it a shot. My hand shall work, even if it's with a pencil and paper!

Tym – Yea…I won't be hop-skip-jumping anywhere yet, not that it'll make much of a difference since I can't write/upload the chapter for her…well, I _could_, but…

Ok, here's the part that probably made this chapter look terribly longer than usual – the replies! SS skipped out last time so these could get messy…

**Shadow Tigress a.k.a. Kit**: …Should I be hiding? YEA! I took…much longer than usual! I'm sorry. I try, really I do! And I don't like putting up my reasons because they always come across as excuses, so just bare with me. I'll always turn out something sooner or later.

**Syaoran-Lover**: You don't have to listen to what I type about Kai and Tala's relationship! _:hides:_ No, really, I remember what I told you. As late in the game as it is I'm still adjusting things to fit the ending (needs a rewrite), so…it's hard to keep their situation platonic, or however you want to see it. Tala used to be a hunter, but decided to work for Boris later on because it was a better deal than freelance. And I think I already cleared up Kai's situation. It was supposed to take this long – one of the only things that went right – simply because things aren't always straightforward and solved in a pinch. …Enjoyed a double chapter, huh? _:smile:_ Boy, you must have thought I died since that was a 3-4 month gap of no alert.

**Chibi Kitty**: Oh no, I'm not dropping this little story. I love it too much! Even though the updates are sparse, I'll always come through. I don't want the journey to end either! But I'd rather it come to a decent end then drag it out and continue it with clichés and whatnot. Enjoy the ride until the conclusion comes! Don't worry, I write slowly, so it'll be a bit more.

**KaisPhoenix**: Well I'm glad you decided to drop by. I do that a lot, too. One of my favorites didn't reel me in until it was in the last chapters, which was good…I think. Anyway, sorry, but I am one of those authors who give out updates once every…one to two months. But I'm working on that, and I always compensate with something special. Like this surprise ficlet, I think you will like it a lot. You must be psychic or something!

**Porticulis**: Hey, hope you're doing all right. I didn't know it was possible until now, but you really didn't sound well from your reply. Please get better and I'll keep writing. And it's ok! I leave reviews for authors to hurry up and update without any helpful commentary sometimes, too. I know that I can count on you for help when I need it, thanks. I'll head on by myself for a bit though, just to see if I can bring this story to a close on my own, with my own mistakes.

**Avampiresdilemma**: You know, sometimes I wish I knew what was going to happen next too…oh! Well, in other stories. Yea… Hm…endings. I never thought my story would happen upon one of those. Well, in my head the story just goes on forever, but I guess I will need to put the end out there. Expect any and every kind of ending! Though I am quite the sap for the childish: "…and they lived happily ever after," it doesn't always happen in real life. All I can say is enjoy what leads up to it, and be prepared for anything. Thanks for reading and reviewing!

**Neko-jinned**: Hm…that is quite a tough choice…I guess my storyline didn't help any, ne? Well, I wouldn't know who to choose either. However, seeing as I still think like a child, I'd go with Rei, who…at this point…is much more innocent than Tala. lol. Yes, the story is closing (though quite slowly), but I promise my next project will portray Rei in a better situation so that you can breathe easier! _:smile:_ GASP. A book? The horror. J/k.

Lots of thanks and cookies to everyone else who also left SS a nice word or two or three to read and to guilt her into finally sitting herself down to write!  
…**buck-tick**, ChaosMaiden, **Ilex-Aquifolium**, Da-Ku Hisaki, **CrossHunt-s**, Shadowed Heart...Darkened Soul, **toboewolf7**, ChibiNekoSakura, **Pickle-Kitten**, Kitty, **saFire flamE**, .at least i know im a sinner, and **Devlinn Reiko-sama**!

Woot! You guys are all that and a bag of Teddygrams! We're both lucky to have your attention for this story. Thank you so much! Now, probably the day she has to take off, SS will give me the disk with the surprise to be uploaded, and it'll be up to me to pick a day to submit it, so be sure to watch out for it! This is for all of you, so I hope you enjoy it! Right now she's finishing it up while I close this chapter, so I'll go, you guys can leave, and SS will eat her Newtons and save the story onto the floppy. Thank you for stopping by, and we'll catch you next time! Ashes.


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